tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-243244322018-02-20T07:00:07.353-05:00BamaHoopsThe state of Alabama is FINALLY taking hoops seriously!bobbyjacknoreply@blogger.comBlogger2177125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24324432.post-62863722371348704202018-02-20T07:00:00.000-05:002018-02-20T07:00:07.380-05:00Game Preview - at Auburn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r4EYpWGGgVw/WovOoTiZ6RI/AAAAAAAAALY/6wScqA921PwgCt4jZgVRBSSOHApFKE_9QCLcBGAs/s1600/636544783866691615-20180217-NCAAB-AlabamavKentucky-CJ1329-copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r4EYpWGGgVw/WovOoTiZ6RI/AAAAAAAAALY/6wScqA921PwgCt4jZgVRBSSOHApFKE_9QCLcBGAs/s640/636544783866691615-20180217-NCAAB-AlabamavKentucky-CJ1329-copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />This just in: Kentucky has grabbed another offensive rebound. Sorry, couldn't resist. The Alabama men's basketball team will look to rebound (heh heh) Wednesday night when they travel to <a href="http://www.auburntigers.com/sports/m-baskbl/stats/2017-2018/teamcume.html#TEAM.TEM" target="_blank">Auburn</a> to play the league-leading Tigers. <a href="http://www.rolltide.com/cumestats.aspx?path=mbball&amp;year=2017" target="_blank">Alabama</a> enters this game with an 8-6 conference record, while the War Eagles enter with an 11-3 record. Game time is 7:30 P.M. CT. SEC Network will televise the game. Click the links for team and KenPom stats.<br /><br /><b>My Two Cents:</b> I'll give credit where it's due, and the Auburn fans have packed out games this season, turning that arena into a tough place to play. DJC remarked in his Kentucky recap that he was envious of the Kentucky crowds. I'm envious of the environment <a href="https://kenpom.com/team.php?team=Auburn" target="_blank">Auburn</a> has had on a consistent basis. I'm envious that their students are given prime seating that allows them to have a direct impact on the game. Whether Bruce Pearl remains the coach at Auburn in the wake of the FBI investigation and subsequent NCAA investigation, or whether Auburn remains relevant in college basketball, the decision makers at UA have to take a long look at the facility improvements at long-time basketball doormats like Auburn and Ole Miss and realize that the current state of affairs at Coleman isn't going to cut it. There's a lot of rumors blowing in the wind about facility upgrades for basketball that will be announced in the offseason. I hope it turns out to be more than just another band-aid for Coleman because if Ole Miss and Auburn can build awesome new venues for their basketball programs, surely the University of Alabama can produce a better basketball environment for students, faculty and fans.<br /><br />That said, <a href="https://kenpom.com/team.php?team=Alabama" target="_blank">Alabama</a> will likely enter a very loud environment on Wednesday night. Not only is it Alabama vs Auburn, but the Iron Bowl trophy will change hands (even though the Iron Bowl really meant nothing this season heh heh haha haha heh hahah....ahem...where was I?). Alabama has already beaten this Auburn team once, but much worse Auburn teams than this one have made life difficult for Alabama teams down there in the past. It will take a tremendous effort for our guys to get out of there with the win and season sweep. You'll notice I didn't write "impossible". That's because Auburn lost more than the game this past Saturday at South Carolina. Anfernee McLemore, arguably the team's best interior player, who led the team in blocks and <a href="https://kenpom.com/playerstats.php?s=PctBlocks" target="_blank">was top 3 nationally in block percentage</a>, was lost for the season after a leg injury. McLemore was an emerging player for this team on both ends, and I believe his loss will impact this team. For starters, his loss leaves Auburn with only eight available scholarship players on the roster, and one less interior player for a team that wasn't big to begin with. Then again, no one expected Auburn to be as good as they have been so perhaps this team finds a way to overcome another road block. Regardless, Alabama will have a size advantage on Wednesday night that they need to exploit on the glass as well as driving the ball to the basket with Auburn's best rim protector unavailable.<br /><br /><b>Players to Watch:</b> We've discussed <a href="https://kenpom.com/player.php?p=40358" target="_blank"><b>Collin Sexton's</b></a> competitiveness before. It shows up in how hard he plays on both ends, his cheering for his teammates when he's on the bench, but it also manifests itself in trash talk. Collin likes to talk trash to opposing players and fans. He's the type of guy with an edge that every program needs if it's going to win games it shouldn't like Wednesday night. While the environment at Auburn would be intimidating to most, it could be the type of environment that a competitor like Collin thrives in. If he's playing his A game on Wednesday night, he and the Auburn student section are going to just love each other.<br /><br />I feel that in my first Auburn preview I didn't give enough respect to the guards for Auburn. They're the motor of this team, and their improvement across the board has played a big role in this resurgence for the program in Pearl's fourth season at the helm. These days in basketball, if you have great guards you can go a long way. Auburn has three great ones in <a href="https://kenpom.com/player.php?p=38834" target="_blank"><b>Jared Harper</b></a> (13.5 ppg, 39.7% from 3, 5.8 apg, 1.1 spg), <a href="https://kenpom.com/player.php?p=30107" target="_blank"><b>Bryce Brown</b></a> (16.4 ppg, 40.5% from 3), and <a href="https://kenpom.com/player.php?p=39390" target="_blank"><b>Mustapha Heron</b></a> (16.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.2 spg). Heron is a physical force that can score anywhere on the floor, Brown is one of the best shooters in the league, and Harper is the mastermind of it all, running the team at an extremely efficient level (157 assists vs 58 turnovers). The scary thing if you're not an Auburn fan is that all three of these guys could be back next season. In the first game, our guys did a great job defending all three, holding them to a combined 27 points, 4 assists and 9 turnovers. It will take a similar defensive effort on Wednesday night.<br /><br /><b>Prediction:</b> Alabama will have a size advantage in this game, but I suspect a smaller line-up for Auburn will force Avery to ditch the Daniel/Donta line-up early, if he even plays it at all. Auburn is going to try to space the floor and bomb Bama from the three, or try to use their quickness at the guard position to take advantage of mismatches when our guys switch on defense (and there have been mismatches after a switch on a consistent basis this season so expect it). Auburn is a great offensive team so when they do miss our guys must grab rebounds and prevent Auburn second chance opportunities, a stat that doomed Bama in Lexington. On offense, with Auburn's best rim protector out, our guys must attack the rim. Auburn is not a deep team; Alabama must make them guard for 40 minutes without fouling. I believe Alabama has a great chance to match up and win this game on Wednesday night, but with a likely strong home environment in their favor I'll pick the Tigers to win. <b>Auburn - 81 - Bama - 72</b>&nbsp; <div class="blogger-post-footer">Alabama Hoops Feed. FEED ME!</div>MSmiliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00986547026900964686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24324432.post-81497665698221356202018-02-18T13:43:00.001-05:002018-02-18T13:43:23.105-05:00Cat Scratched. UK 81 Alabama 71<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v6-1IK2djLg/Wom874VV0SI/AAAAAAAABW4/qvZNb4dYhIk5HUNV6B83s5deSwY0mmJiQCEwYBhgL/s1600/20180217_140000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v6-1IK2djLg/Wom874VV0SI/AAAAAAAABW4/qvZNb4dYhIk5HUNV6B83s5deSwY0mmJiQCEwYBhgL/s320/20180217_140000.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Kentucky dominated the boards to snap a four game losing streak with an 81-71 victory over our Tide.&nbsp; Alabama played hard, and really did not play that bad of a game, but they were up against a very talented, wounded animal.&nbsp; Kentucky simply was not going to be denied, and credit to them for finally showing a sense of urgency when they needed it most.&nbsp; The loss drops Alabama to 17-10, 8-6 in the SEC.&nbsp; Jerry Palm's bracket today has us as an 8 seed playing against Houston in Charlotte.&nbsp; I think we need at least one more win to feel good about getting in.&nbsp; We are now in a 4 way tie for 3rd in the SEC, and teams 3-11 are only separated by 2 games.&nbsp; It's going to be a crazy finish to see who gets the coveted double-byes in the SEC tournament.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This game was lost on the backboards.&nbsp; We played a 2-3 zone for much of the game, and simply could not get a rebound out of it.&nbsp; Kentucky out rebounded us 44-27.&nbsp; They had an absurd 20...,TWENTY! offensive rebounds, compared to our 9.&nbsp; I definitely understand the reasoning behind playing so much zone.&nbsp; UK is not a very good shooting team, though they did end up going 4 of 11 from 3 point range and made 75% of their free throws.&nbsp; Still, after the second time they scored on their fourth opportunity in a single possession,&nbsp; it was time to switch to a soft man, or try something different.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The substitution patterns continue to drive me nuts.&nbsp; Dan started and played 15 minutes, and somehow managed to only pick up 2 fouls in that time, but he only pulled down one rebound and scored 2 points.&nbsp; He was a liability against the quicker Kentucky forwards.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Collin fouled out in 29 minutes and also missed some time with an injury, as it appeared he may have been bleeding.&nbsp; I thought he tried to do a little too much at times, and ended with 12 points, going 0 for 4 from 3 point range.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On the positive side we had 4 guys in double digits.&nbsp; In addition to Collin, Alex Reese had a nice game with 10 points in 15 minutes including a couple of 3s.&nbsp; Petty finally showed some signs of life on the road with 13 points including 3 of 10 from downtown and a perfect 4 of 4 at the line.&nbsp; It was good to see him getting to the line, but&nbsp; he still struggled with turnovers and shot selection at times.&nbsp; Donta continued to do his thing, with 16 points, 6 rebounds, and a couple of blocks in 30 minutes.&nbsp; He did miss a few free throws, and he had to leave the game at one point as it appeared his injured wrist was bothering him.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The team hung around and had a 1 point lead with 8 minutes left, but we appeared to play tight down the stretch and couldn't make the plays to stay in the game.&nbsp; This UK team may not be as good as some recent versions, but they are still plenty talented, and you're not going to walk into Rupp and win by being doubled-up on the boards while shooting 25% from the arc and 62% from the line.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As always, the crowd and atmosphere was awesome at Rupp.&nbsp; It was a sellout, but there were a few empty seats in the upper level to be found, thankfully including the one next to me, so it was nice to actually have a little bit of space.&nbsp; They've made some improvements since my last trip there, including a nicer scoreboard/video replay screen and sound system, but the upper level seating is still very cramped.&nbsp; I'm told more renovations are coming to the adjoining Lexington Center, but they've been talking about that for at least 6 years now, so I'll believe it when I see it.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have to admit, I'm a little jealous of Kentucky.&nbsp; I would kill for Alabama basketball to have the fan support and passion of Big Blue Nation.&nbsp; Even though they are generally down on their team this year, we had many people come up to us before the game and say some variation of "you guys are going to kill us," they still pack the place and get loud at key moments.&nbsp; They are also the most welcoming, classiest group of fans you will find.&nbsp; Not a single person said anything negative to us, and dozens went out of their way to say "welcome, we're glad you're here, etc."&nbsp; We had brunch before the game, and the couple sitting next to us at the bar ended up giving us their home address and invited us over to hang out after the game.&nbsp; The owner of the establishment introduced himself and gave us shots on the house.&nbsp; &nbsp; If you're ever in Lexington, I highly recommend Carson's, great bloody marys and the food was great!&nbsp; Every usher at the game, before and after, had kind words for us.&nbsp; There were more Alabama fans there than I've seen in the past.&nbsp; There was at least a little crimson in every section, so we probably had close to 500 or so total scattered throughout.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Up next, it doesn't get any easier, as we travel to the ugliest village on the plains to take on conference leading auburn.&nbsp; The Tigers are coming off a bad loss to South Carolina, and I suspect they were looking ahead to this game.&nbsp; The contest is set for a 7:30 pm CT tipoff on SEC Network Wednesday night.&nbsp; I'm still debating whether or not to make that trip.</div><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Alabama Hoops Feed. FEED ME!</div>DJChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15941209983437626301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24324432.post-2051720489383301842018-02-16T11:47:00.002-05:002018-02-16T11:47:47.478-05:00Sleeping with the enemy, Kentucky WildcatsI reached out to Jamie Boggs at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.aseaofblue.com/" target="_blank">Sea of Blue</a>&nbsp;to get Big Blue Nation's perspective on tomorrow's game.&nbsp; He kindly provided us with the response below.&nbsp; If you visit A Sea of Blue, please remember to follow their site's rules and be a good representative of our University.<br /><br /><i>The Wildcats are reeling right now, coming off of the first four game losing streak of the Calipari era. In fact, they had never lost 3 in a row under Cal before last week. The strengths of this team have been sporadic throughout the season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been the most consistent weapon with his ability to penetrate and finish with his left hand. Kevin Knox is the most explosive scorer, but he has also been known to disappear when things have gotten physical. The primary asset for this team that has proven to benefit the Cats in every game has been the size of this group. The length and wingspan of this group is honestly unreal, especially in the rare moments when they play zone.</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>The primary weaknesses have been scoring and consistency. There have been many long stretches without baskets this season, something Kentucky fans are not used to. One half they will look like they've turned a corner and may be figuring out how to play together, and then the next half they look like they just met and have no team Chemistry.</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>Collin Sexton will be a matchup nightmare for Kentucky, as guard penetration has been an issue all season. In order to compete on Saturday, Kentucky's bigs have to exert themselves and use their size on the offensive end. The Wildcats also have to make their free throws, only converting on 68.6% of their attempts from the charity stripe this season.</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>This is the closest we have seen to a must-win game since John Calipari came to town, so I expect the Wildcats to come out ready to play.</i><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Alabama Hoops Feed. FEED ME!</div>DJChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15941209983437626301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24324432.post-20068979361888300072018-02-16T07:00:00.000-05:002018-02-16T07:00:43.942-05:00Game Preview - at Kentucky<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_gk85Ppj-FQ/WoaFWJ2mlzI/AAAAAAAAALI/XdwW-1V2SAoPGUfdmL0LQ4QJ3o3VimRCQCLcBGAs/s1600/e8bc95e0-457b-4c22-b7e1-f67ec45d3abc.sized-1000x1000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_gk85Ppj-FQ/WoaFWJ2mlzI/AAAAAAAAALI/XdwW-1V2SAoPGUfdmL0LQ4QJ3o3VimRCQCLcBGAs/s640/e8bc95e0-457b-4c22-b7e1-f67ec45d3abc.sized-1000x1000.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />The Alabama men's basketball team had a very good week in league play this past week, going 2-0, including its fifth win this season over a ranked team. Our guys will hope to make it three straight wins when it travels to Lexington to play the Kentucky Wildcats on Saturday. <a href="http://www.rolltide.com/cumestats.aspx?path=mbball&amp;year=2017" target="_blank">Alabama</a> is seeking its first win at Rupp Arena since January 14, 2006 when it knocked off the Cats by a score of 68-64. Game time is 1 P.M. CT. CBS will televise the game. <a href="https://kenpom.com/team.php?team=Alabama" target="_blank">Alabama</a> enters the game with an 8-5 conference record, while the Wildcats enter with an unusually modest 6-7 conference record. The Cats also enter this game with a four-game losing streak. Hit the links for team and KenPom stats.<br /><br /><b>My Two Cents:</b> It's a big stage for our guys on CBS. And, frankly speaking, I believe our guys are the better team entering this game. This <a href="http://ukathletics.com/cumestats.aspx?path=mbball" target="_blank">Kentucky</a> team - the youngest team in the country per KenPom - has struggled to put together consistent efforts all season. Some of that is due to the youth, some of it is because this <a href="https://kenpom.com/team.php?team=Kentucky" target="_blank">Kentucky</a> team lacks the elite type of players we're accustomed to seeing wear that jersey. Not that the team lacks talent - it was a top 2 class in 2017 - but it's been a group of guys that are in need of more development than many of the NBA-ready guys that Calipari has recruited during his time in Lexington. That said, getting out of Rupp Arena with a win is much easier said than done. Our guys will need to continue their high level of play if they have any chance of coming home with that win.<br /><br /><b>Players to Watch:</b> Don't look now, but <a href="https://kenpom.com/player.php?p=38189" target="_blank"><b>Braxton Key</b></a> is putting together consistently good games. In Bama's last four games, Braxton is averaging 11.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg and 1.2 apg. He looks much more comfortable on the floor, seemingly finding his place on this team. Physically, he looks much stronger and confident on the floor. He had several drives in the LSU game in which he looked as explosive as we've seen him all season. I don't think it's a coincidence that Bama is 3-1 in these last four games. As someone who loves Braxton's versatile game, it's nice to see him back in rhythm.<br /><br />There's any number of guys on this Kentucky roster that are capable of stepping up and having a huge day on Saturday, but I think <a href="https://kenpom.com/player.php?p=41057" target="_blank"><b>Kevin Knox</b></a> is the most dangerous player on this team. He's probably the most pro-ready player from a physical standpoint, but he has had no shortage of ups and downs this season. In the loss to Auburn earlier this week, Calipari actually had to sit Knox late in the game because his defensive effort and overall body language was so poor. He's a freshman, struggles are going to happen, but when he's on this Kentucky team rises to another level. Just ask West Virginia fans, players and coaches who watched Knox torch them for 34 points in the Cats biggest win of the season so far. <br /><br /><b>Prediction:</b> This one is tough for me. On the one hand, I think you could make the argument that Alabama is the better team entering this game. Our guys should be extremely confident as I believe they're playing their best basketball of the season, and the efficiency stats on both ends of the court actually favor Alabama entering this game. On the other hand, the game is in Rupp, Kentucky is struggling but still immensely talented, and have a Hall of Fame coach. I won't be shocked if our guys get out of Rupp with the win (I'm almost expecting it, to be quite honest), but I just can't pick against Kentucky in Rupp. They could have lost ten straight entering this game, and I might still pick them to win in that building. <b>Kentucky - 74 - Bama - 63</b>&nbsp; &nbsp; <div class="blogger-post-footer">Alabama Hoops Feed. FEED ME!</div>MSmiliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00986547026900964686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24324432.post-4004117969284498962018-02-14T14:49:00.000-05:002018-02-14T14:49:18.028-05:00Bama Buries Bayou Bengals, Alabama 80 LSU 65It was a sad Fat Tuesday for our Cajun friends, as Bama dominated the second half to cruise to an easy victory.&nbsp; With the win, Alabama is now 17-9 on the season, and 8-5 in the conference, still very much alive for a coveted top 4 finish.&nbsp; We probably need at least one more win to feel really good about our chances on selection Sunday.<br /><br />We jumped out to an early 7-0 lead, but once again we put a nonsensical lineup on the floor that allowed LSU to get back into the game.&nbsp; We made some plays late in the half to take a 39-30 lead into the locker room.&nbsp;<br /><br />The second half started horrifically.&nbsp; We had several bad turnovers, and LSU capitalize by making a couple of 3s and the lead was cut to 1.&nbsp; With Collin Sexton going to the bench with his 4th foul, it looked like another midweek letdown was imminent.&nbsp; &nbsp; Instead, we responded with a 23-3 run, and eventually led by as many as 25, before playing a couple of walk-ons the last couple of minutes which allowed LSU to make the final score somewhat respectable.&nbsp;<br /><br />Before some knucklehead cites this run and the auburn game as evidence that "we play better without Sexton," just stop it.&nbsp; There is plenty of evidence of the offense struggling without Collin in the game, including the stretch in the first half of this game.&nbsp; Despite the four fouls, he still ended up with 15 points and 6 assists in only 22 minutes of play.&nbsp; This is not a one man team, though, and these types of performances with him on the bench should give the team confidence they can go without him when necessary, and will also give Collin confidence that he has more than sufficient help from his teammates.<br /><br />Donta Hall was the clear MVP with a career high 20 points to go with 8 rebounds.&nbsp; He had 5 dunks, including a couple of impressive "and ones" and was instrumental in putting the game during our big second half run.&nbsp; "Basketball IQ" is a term that gets thrown around more so in regards to guard play, but Donta has as high of a basketball IQ as anyone.&nbsp; Everybody notices the dunks, rebounds, and blocked shots, but watching him move and anticipate without the ball is a real joy.&nbsp; He sets up those dunks by getting into great position, and reading the defenders rebounding angles and help-side defense when our guards drive the lane.&nbsp; His ability to run the floor, catch the ball, finish at the rim, and know precisely when to cut to the basket have improved ten-fold over the course of the last two season.&nbsp; Coach Pelphrey has earned his salary for his work with Donta alone.&nbsp;<br /><br />I am still a little worried about Donta's wrist injury.&nbsp; The trainers were working on his wrap during every timeout, and seemed to be favoring it at times. Also, Braxton Key was interviewed on the post game radio broadcast despite Donta being named player of the game, and I wonder if that was related to his wrist injury.<br /><br />Speaking of Key, he had another solid performance with 12 points and 7 rebounds while playing great defense.&nbsp; He needs to be starting of Giddens.&nbsp; Dan filled the stat sheet with "4s," his total for rebounds, points, and of course, fouls.&nbsp; He only managed to stay on the court for 13 minutes.&nbsp;<br /><br />Petty had 11 points on 3 of&nbsp; 3 shooting from downtown, and he finally seems to be contributing in other ways as his defense has also improved lately.&nbsp;<br /><br />Speaking of defense, Herb Jones played a huge role in holding Waters to only 5 points.&nbsp; I looked up at the scoreboard late in the game and commented to my friend that Herb has played one of the best games I've seen to that point without scoring a single point.&nbsp; He did get on the board, with a great move, drive, and dunk.&nbsp; He was also efficient at running the point while Sexton was on the bench in foul trouble.<br /><br />The crowd was much better than the Missouri game, but still not ideal, I would estimate maybe 8,000 or so.&nbsp; The atmosphere was much better though.&nbsp; Dazon set the tone early by making a 3 on our first possession, and the crowd was loud and engaged for the rest of the night.&nbsp;<br /><br />Up next, we travel to Lexington Kentucky to take on the Wildcats at Rupp Arena.&nbsp; Long time readers of the blog already know that this is my favorite road trip in the SEC, and I'm planning to make the drive up Friday afternoon.&nbsp; In most of my recent trips there; I've just been hopeful we could keep it respectable, but this time I think I have a legitimate shot at witnessing my third Bama victory in that building.&nbsp; Tip off will be at 2pm Eastern (1 Central) on CBS.&nbsp;<div class="blogger-post-footer">Alabama Hoops Feed. FEED ME!</div>DJChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15941209983437626301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24324432.post-67672888190520358542018-02-12T09:56:00.001-05:002018-02-14T13:48:33.659-05:00Bracketology and SEC Standings<a href="http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology" target="_blank">ESPN</a>&nbsp;has us now as a 7 seed with what I would consider a very favorable match-up with the Dookies.<br /><a href="https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/bracketology/" target="_blank">CBS</a>&nbsp;has us as an 8 seed (I think this one is dated) and a not so fun match-up with Xavier.<br /><a href="http://thebiglead.com/2018/02/11/bracketology-february-11th-breaking-down-the-early-reveal-and-what-it-means-for-selection-sunday/" target="_blank">The Big Lead</a>&nbsp;has us as the 3rd 7 seed.<br /><br />SEC Standings (via CBS Sports):<br /><table class="data" style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; color: #111111; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr class="label" id="special"><td align="left" style="border: 1px solid rgb(245, 245, 245); font-weight: 700; padding: 7px 4px; text-transform: uppercase;">EAM</td><td align="center" style="border: 1px solid rgb(245, 245, 245); font-weight: 700; padding: 7px 4px; text-transform: uppercase;">CONF. W-L</td><td align="center" style="border: 1px solid rgb(245, 245, 245); font-weight: 700; padding: 7px 4px; text-transform: uppercase;">TOT. W-L</td><td align="right" style="border: 1px solid rgb(245, 245, 245); font-weight: 700; padding: 7px 4px; text-transform: uppercase;">RPI RANK</td></tr><tr align="right" class="row1" style="border-top: 2px solid rgb(238, 238, 238);"><td align="left" style="padding: 7px 4px;"><a href="https://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/teams/page/AUBURN/auburn-tigers" style="color: #6e8dcf; text-decoration-line: none;">Auburn</a></td><td align="center" style="padding: 7px 4px;">10-2</td><td align="center" style="padding: 7px 4px;">22-3</td><td align="right" style="padding: 7px 4px;">8</td></tr><tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left" style="background-color: #ebebeb; padding: 7px 4px;"><a href="https://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/teams/page/TENN/tennessee-volunteers" style="color: #6e8dcf; text-decoration-line: none;">Tennessee</a></td><td align="center" style="background-color: #ebebeb; padding: 7px 4px;">8-4</td><td align="center" style="background-color: #ebebeb; padding: 7px 4px;">18-6</td><td align="right" style="background-color: #ebebeb; padding: 7px 4px;">13</td></tr><tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left" style="padding: 7px 4px;"><a href="https://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/teams/page/FLA/florida-gators" style="color: #6e8dcf; text-decoration-line: none;">Florida</a></td><td align="center" style="padding: 7px 4px;">8-4</td><td align="center" style="padding: 7px 4px;">17-8</td><td align="right" style="padding: 7px 4px;">47</td></tr><tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left" style="background-color: #ebebeb; padding: 7px 4px;"><a href="https://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/teams/page/MIZZOU/missouri-tigers" style="color: #6e8dcf; text-decoration-line: none;">Missouri</a></td><td align="center" style="background-color: #ebebeb; padding: 7px 4px;">7-5</td><td align="center" style="background-color: #ebebeb; padding: 7px 4px;">17-8</td><td align="right" style="background-color: #ebebeb; padding: 7px 4px;">22</td></tr><tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left" style="padding: 7px 4px;"><a href="https://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/teams/page/BAMA/alabama-crimson-tide" style="color: #6e8dcf; text-decoration-line: none;">Alabama</a></td><td align="center" style="padding: 7px 4px;">7-5</td><td align="center" style="padding: 7px 4px;">16-9</td><td align="right" style="padding: 7px 4px;">33</td></tr><tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left" style="background-color: #ebebeb; padding: 7px 4px;"><a href="https://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/teams/page/MISSST/mississippi-state-bulldogs" style="color: #6e8dcf; text-decoration-line: none;">Miss. State</a></td><td align="center" style="background-color: #ebebeb; padding: 7px 4px;">6-6</td><td align="center" style="background-color: #ebebeb; padding: 7px 4px;">18-7</td><td align="right" style="background-color: #ebebeb; padding: 7px 4px;">57</td></tr><tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left" style="padding: 7px 4px;"><a href="https://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/teams/page/ARK/arkansas-razorbacks" style="color: #6e8dcf; text-decoration-line: none;">Arkansas</a></td><td align="center" style="padding: 7px 4px;">6-6</td><td align="center" style="padding: 7px 4px;">17-8</td><td align="right" style="padding: 7px 4px;">36</td></tr><tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left" style="background-color: #ebebeb; padding: 7px 4px;"><a href="https://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/teams/page/UK/kentucky-wildcats" style="color: #6e8dcf; text-decoration-line: none;">Kentucky</a></td><td align="center" style="background-color: #ebebeb; padding: 7px 4px;">6-6</td><td align="center" style="background-color: #ebebeb; padding: 7px 4px;">17-8</td><td align="right" style="background-color: #ebebeb; padding: 7px 4px;">20</td></tr><tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left" style="padding: 7px 4px;"><a href="https://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/teams/page/TEXAM/texas-am-aggies" style="color: #6e8dcf; text-decoration-line: none;">Texas A&amp;M</a></td><td align="center" style="padding: 7px 4px;">6-6</td><td align="center" style="padding: 7px 4px;">17-8</td><td align="right" style="padding: 7px 4px;">17</td></tr><tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left" style="background-color: #ebebeb; padding: 7px 4px;"><a href="https://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/teams/page/LSU/lsu-tigers" style="color: #6e8dcf; text-decoration-line: none;">LSU</a></td><td align="center" style="background-color: #ebebeb; padding: 7px 4px;">5-7</td><td align="center" style="background-color: #ebebeb; padding: 7px 4px;">14-10</td><td align="right" style="background-color: #ebebeb; padding: 7px 4px;">79</td></tr><tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left" style="padding: 7px 4px;"><a href="https://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/teams/page/UGA/georgia-bulldogs" style="color: #6e8dcf; text-decoration-line: none;">Georgia</a></td><td align="center" style="padding: 7px 4px;">4-8</td><td align="center" style="padding: 7px 4px;">13-11</td><td align="right" style="padding: 7px 4px;">83</td></tr><tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left" style="background-color: #ebebeb; padding: 7px 4px;"><a href="https://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/teams/page/SC/south-carolina-gamecocks" style="color: #6e8dcf; text-decoration-line: none;">S. Carolina</a></td><td align="center" style="background-color: #ebebeb; padding: 7px 4px;">4-8</td><td align="center" style="background-color: #ebebeb; padding: 7px 4px;">13-12</td><td align="right" style="background-color: #ebebeb; padding: 7px 4px;">78</td></tr><tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left" style="padding: 7px 4px;"><a href="https://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/teams/page/MISS/ole-miss-rebels" style="color: #6e8dcf; text-decoration-line: none;">Ole Miss</a></td><td align="center" style="padding: 7px 4px;">4-8</td><td align="center" style="padding: 7px 4px;">11-14</td><td align="right" style="padding: 7px 4px;">103</td></tr><tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left" style="background-color: #ebebeb; padding: 7px 4px;"><a href="https://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/teams/page/VANDY/vanderbilt-commodores" style="color: #6e8dcf; text-decoration-line: none;">Vanderbilt</a></td><td align="center" style="background-color: #ebebeb; padding: 7px 4px;">3-9</td><td align="center" style="background-color: #ebebeb; padding: 7px 4px;">9-16</td><td align="right" style="background-color: #ebebeb; padding: 7px 4px;">127</td></tr></tbody></table>We lose the tie-breaker to Mizzou (I see them finishing 4-2) so I think we should look to UF to drop a couple more (I see 3-3/2-4 in their future) to pass them up to get that key #4 seed in the SEC Tournament.<br /><div><br /></div><div>BTW- if that ESPN prediction comes through I will head over to Charlotte.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Alabama Hoops Feed. FEED ME!</div>bobbyjacknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24324432.post-33292993125483941262018-02-12T07:00:00.000-05:002018-02-12T07:00:54.476-05:00Game Preview - LSU<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eYyjam0u_50/WoE1afKhBvI/AAAAAAAAAK4/sc55ayPQg10tI64m2otvtnabm5aVxf4agCLcBGAs/s1600/b47_a120180210__ala_bkc_g25_tenn__011__vh.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="723" data-original-width="960" height="482" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eYyjam0u_50/WoE1afKhBvI/AAAAAAAAAK4/sc55ayPQg10tI64m2otvtnabm5aVxf4agCLcBGAs/s640/b47_a120180210__ala_bkc_g25_tenn__011__vh.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />After their fifth win over a ranked opponent this season, the Alabama men's basketball team is looking to avoid another midweek letdown when the <b><a href="https://kenpom.com/team.php?team=LSU" target="_blank">LSU Tigers</a></b> visit Coleman Coliseum on Tuesday night. Alabama enters with a 7-5 record, tied with Missouri for fourth in the league standings (Missouri owns the tiebreaker). LSU enters with a 5-7 league record. This will be the second meeting this season; Alabama won the first meeting in Baton Rouge, 74-66. Game time is the dreaded 8 P.M. CT slot. SEC Network will televise the game. Click the links for team and KenPom stats.<br /><br /><b>My Two Cents:</b> This young <b><a href="http://www.rolltide.com/cumestats.aspx?path=mbball&amp;year=2017" target="_blank">Alabama</a></b> team has been very good under the bright lights in big games this season, but it's faltered when playing in the less-heralded games. Some of those struggles are due to the improvement of the league this season, but it's been clear in losses such as Missouri and at Mississippi State that the team isn't always locked in as a unit for those types of games. The next step for this team with four weeks left in the season is to find a way to generate the necessary focus and intensity to carry over from big performances such as Saturday when the team played arguably its finest game of the season. <b><a href="http://www.lsusports.net/fls/5200/assets/docs/mb/18stats/teamcume.htm" target="_blank">LSU</a></b> is a solid team that has legitimate postseason hopes, despite being picked 14th in the preseason poll. This <b><a href="https://kenpom.com/team.php?team=Alabama" target="_blank">Alabama</a></b> team is very close to having a resume in place that I think will result in the program breaking its six year NCAA Tournament drought. If the Alabama fanbase is serious about supporting this program it needs to be there for a young team that has clearly thrived when fans have been in attendance and are loud and supportive.<br /><br /><b>Players to Watch: </b>The development of <b><a href="https://kenpom.com/player.php?p=30024" target="_blank">Donta Hall</a></b> as both a player and a leader for this team has been one of the pleasures of this season. Donta came to Tuscaloosa as a very athletic player with a high motor, but he was very raw. He was also very quiet. The staff, particularly John Pelphrey, have done a tremendous job working with him over the last two years. And it's paid off this season. Donta is one of the top players, and he's been willing to be a more vocal presence on a team that has sorely lacked one at times. Donta has shown a lot of toughness as well. He's played with that injured wrist for weeks, despite possibly re-injuring it in the game at Starkville. That kind of toughness and leadership can inspire teammates, and it will be instrumental if Alabama can get across the finish line and make the NCAA Tournament.<br /><br /><b><a href="https://kenpom.com/player.php?p=38551" target="_blank">Duop Reath</a></b> is another big man that has been a leader for his team. The senior is ending his college career on a high note, averaging 14.2 ppg and 5.4 rpg. He's coming off a monster game vs Ole Miss in which he finished with 26 points and 5 rebounds. He's had two instances this season in which he's scored 30+. And though he doesn't take many, he is leading his team in 3-pt % at 44.8. His matchup with the Bama bigs will be something to keep an eye on.<br /><br /><b>Prediction:</b> Let's look at the games after Alabama's biggest wins this season (Rhode Island, Texas A&amp;M, Auburn, Oklahoma and Florida). Alabama has only followed one of those wins (Auburn) with another win (Mississippi State). It's clear this team struggles to follow up big wins with consistent efforts. Is the trend doomed to continue Tuesday night? Well, it's not helpful that the game tips at 8. Fans have struggled to fill the seats for those games, and those that do show up are not always the most vocal. That has filtered down to the team, though it is unfair to blame inconsistent performances solely on a poor home environment. At some point this team has to grow up and just find a way to win games when the home crowd isn't as vocal or the opposing team doesn't have a number next to their name.<br /><br />At this point in the season it's hard to believe a team will snap a trend so I don't expect Alabama to play at the level we saw Saturday, meaning this game will probably be closer to most of the mid-week games we've seen in conference play. LSU is a solid team that has a lot to play for. They've got a great shot to play in a postseason tournament with a strong finish to the season. A road win at a top 50 RPI Alabama team would be big for an LSU team with its next two games at home. I expect Bama's trend of mid-week struggles to continue, but this time they overcome the adversity and get the home win vs LSU. <b>Bama - 76 - LSU - 72</b><div class="blogger-post-footer">Alabama Hoops Feed. FEED ME!</div>MSmiliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00986547026900964686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24324432.post-81003394970781545872018-02-11T22:29:00.000-05:002018-02-11T22:29:37.818-05:00Vols Fall, Alabama 78- Tennessee 50Bama bounces back after the loss to Miss $tate to beat down yet another top 25 foe.&nbsp; I will get to some great individual offensive performances soon enough, but I want to lead off with a focus on the team's defensive effort.&nbsp; Finally, we stopped switching on everything and fought through the majority of screens.&nbsp; I've been very critical of JP's defensive effort, but he did a great job on that end of the court Saturday.&nbsp; Dazon also played better defensively than he has in recent games.&nbsp; Guys were being physical getting through screens, pressing the ball, moving their feet to prevent penetration, and for the most part, boxing out on defense.&nbsp; If you love solid, fundamental basketball, and appreciate the things that happen away from the ball, it was a real joy to watch, and that hasn't been the case for this team for much of the year.&nbsp;&nbsp;<div><br /></div><div>I'm starting think our guys might actually read this blog.&nbsp; In my recap before the Florida game I said AJ should not be playing so much, and he played a key roll in that victory.&nbsp; After the $tate loss, I said JP should lose his starting position, and he comes out and puts up 14 points, makes 3 of 4 from 3 point range, and played great defense. I think I'm going to start calling these guys out more often.</div><div><br /></div><div>CAJ had a great gameplan, and out-coached a very good coach in Rick Barnes.&nbsp; We took advantage of our size advantage, not so much by posting up, but by penetrating on the dribble drive and and cutting behind their help-side defense.&nbsp; Collin, Dazon, Key, and even Petty (still too many turnovers, but...) did a great job of beating their guy off the dribble.&nbsp; &nbsp;It was a great effort by all involved.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>The complaint department is mostly closed after a 28 point win over a top 25 opponent, and I know this might seem a bit ridiculous given the results, but I have to take issue once again with the substitution patterns.&nbsp; We built a double-digit lead in the first half, then with about 11 minutes left decided to go with a lineup of 1. AJ 2. Herb 3. Alex, 4. Braxton, and 5. Galin.&nbsp; That's basically 2 decent defenders and at most one scoring option.&nbsp; The results were predictable, a 4+ minute scoring drought that allowed the Vols to get back within 2.&nbsp; We finally put the A-squad back in, and stretched the lead back to 10 by halftime before putting it away for good early in the second half.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>I've criticized the playing rotation a lot here, but I realize I haven't offered many solutions, so here is my proposal:&nbsp; My starting lineup is 1. Collin 2. Herb 3. Dazon 4. Key 5. Donta.&nbsp; JP is first off the bench, and his minutes largely depend on how his first couple of shots go.&nbsp; Collin goes to the bench at the under-12 timeout of each half and comes back some time between the first dead ball under 10 or at the under 8 timeout at the latest.&nbsp; Basically, he rests 2.5 minutes per half.&nbsp; &nbsp;AJ replaces him for these minutes.&nbsp; For a different look at various times, I would also move Collin off-ball and let Herb or Dazon run point for 5-10 possessions each.&nbsp; Dan backs up Donta down low, but can play them both to go big occasionally depending on matchups, but I would not start them both.&nbsp; Galin only plays when one of them is in foul trouble.&nbsp; Alex would back up Dazon and Braxton as a stretch 4 for 6-8 minutes per game, but may play more depending on matchups.&nbsp; I'm sure I'm missing something, there's a reason nobody is paying me to coach college basketball, but this seems fairly common sense to me.</div><div><br /></div><div>You knew it was going to be our night when Collin turned it over in the back court, gave up on the play, but UT missed the uncontested layup, and Collin, recognizing as soon as they released the shot that it would be off, recovered from beyond the arc, got the rebound, and raced the length of the floor to score at the other end.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>Collin had a great game with 16 points and also 4 assists.&nbsp; Notably, JP also had 4 assists.&nbsp; Donta was the leading scorer with 17 points and 11 rebounds.&nbsp; He also did a lot of things that don't show up in the box score.&nbsp; I'm loving the way he runs the floor.&nbsp; &nbsp; Dan had 6 rebounds but only stayed on the court for 14 minutes before picking up 4 fouls.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>Lawson Schaffer was unavailable, but Tyler Barnes took on the role of crowd favorite.&nbsp; He got in the game late but missed a couple of free throws.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>It was a sellout crowd and the atmosphere was great while we were building the huge lead.&nbsp; There were not many empty seats, but there was a strong contingent of bright-orange clad UT fans, I would estimate 500+, mostly up in the corners but a quite a few scattered throughout.&nbsp; They made their presence known during their run in the first half, but most of them left early.&nbsp; I love the thought of those people getting excited about finally beating us in something, driving all the way down from east TN in the rain, then returning home dejected with a nearly 30 point loss.&nbsp; Kudos to the band for finally bringing back Rammer Jammer.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>Up next, the LSU Tigers are coming in with confidence after a 16 point win over Ole Miss.&nbsp; The game will tip off at 8 pm CST Tuesday night in Tuscaloosa on the SEC Network.&nbsp; Folks, we need at least two more wins.&nbsp; This is precisely the type of game we've struggled with.&nbsp; Not only does the team deserve your support given all of their wins over top 25 opponents, they NEED you to be there Tuesday night.&nbsp; We're on the verge of locking up a spot on selection Sunday.&nbsp; This is the classic "trap game" sandwiched as a late midweek game between two top 25 opponents.&nbsp; This team clearly thrives in packed environments.&nbsp; Frankly, if we can't at least draw 12,000 or so for these types of games, we don't deserve a consistent tournament team as a fanbase.&nbsp; &nbsp;Sadly, there are still plenty of tickets available.&nbsp; If you're reading this, presumably you care about the University of Alabama men's basketball team.&nbsp; If at all possible, get your ass to Coleman Coliseum Tuesday night.&nbsp; I hope to see you there.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Alabama Hoops Feed. FEED ME!</div>DJChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15941209983437626301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24324432.post-24793085191530705752018-02-09T07:00:00.000-05:002018-02-09T07:00:04.050-05:00Game Preview - Tennessee<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DKUistf3lts/Wn1Mo_b6O3I/AAAAAAAAAKo/_z5K7jIswiwE_psKzOHBsh9P7mN4rRCvQCLcBGAs/s1600/qcjrs5uehzlvhg51xuxn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="660" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DKUistf3lts/Wn1Mo_b6O3I/AAAAAAAAAKo/_z5K7jIswiwE_psKzOHBsh9P7mN4rRCvQCLcBGAs/s640/qcjrs5uehzlvhg51xuxn.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />The Alabama men's basketball team will seek their fifth victory against a ranked opponent this season when the Tennessee Volunteers visit Coleman on Saturday. Alabama enters the game at 6-5 in league play, while UT enters with a 8-3 record. Game time is 5 P.M. CT. SEC Network will televise the game. The university has announced that this game is a sellout. Hit the links for game and KenPom stats.<br /><br /><b>My Two Cents:</b> <b><a href="http://www.rolltide.com/cumestats.aspx?path=mbball&amp;year=2017" target="_blank">Alabama</a></b> will have their hands full with this <b><a href="http://utsports.com/cumestats.aspx?path=mbball&amp;year=2017" target="_blank">Tennessee</a></b> team on Saturday. Rick Barnes has done an amazing job developing this team. Even more amazing when you realize that none of these guys were top 100 recruits coming out of high school. It's been player development and chemistry that has led to this season for the Vols. Only a game behind Auburn in the standings, Tennessee is very much in the hunt for an SEC title, Grant Williams is, in my opinion, the frontrunner for SEC Player of the Year, and Rick Barnes is right there with Bruce Pearl for the Coach of the Year honor.This game has been announced as a sellout. Fans in attendance will have to bring their A-game to help lift the Bama players to play their best. <b><a href="https://kenpom.com/team.php?team=Tennessee" target="_blank">Tennessee</a></b> is currently in the RPI top 10 so a victory for Alabama will be yet another quality win on the resume.<br /><br /><b>Players to Watch:</b> Where have you gone, <a href="https://kenpom.com/player.php?p=40913" target="_blank"><b>John Petty</b></a>, our nation turns its lonely eyes to you. On January 17th, JP scored 27 points in Bama's 76-71 win over Auburn. Since that game, John is averaging 5.1 points per game. Are the struggles part of the dreaded "wall" that freshmen are expected to hit over the course of a long season or just merely the highs and lows that come with a player who relies almost exclusively on the 3-point shot? Whatever it is, this <a href="https://kenpom.com/team.php?team=Alabama" target="_blank"><b>Alabama</b></a> team hopes that it's temporary, because without John's outside shooting the offense has a tendency to get bogged down. Teams pack it in the paint to limit Donta around the rim as well as disrupt Collin's strength in getting to the basket. I don't think it's a coincidence that in games in which JP scores 10 or more points, Alabama is averaging 76.3 ppg. In games in which he scores in single digits, the team is averaging 69.8 ppg. I think in order to win Saturday, Bama needs John Petty at his best.<br /><br />As of today, I think <a href="https://kenpom.com/player.php?p=38657" target="_blank"><b>Grant Williams</b></a> is the frontrunner for SEC Player of the Year. Yes, this Tennessee team is thriving because of great coaching and team chemistry, but without Grant Williams efforts this isn't a team contending for the league title. Williams is averaging 15.9 ppg, 6.1 rpg, and 2 apg. He's undersized as a 6'7 center, but at 241 lbs he can outmuscle most of his bigger opponents. But he's also skilled, great hands and feet, can make post moves, step out and hit a mid-range jumper. He's a smart player, knowing how to reach the spot on the floor he wants to receive the ball. Good defender. He's a great player, and someone who Alabama is going to have to respect, even with a size advantage inside. However, double-teaming Williams is not always the best recipe for success because he's a willing passer, and this Tennessee team can shoot the ball (39.1% as a team from 3). There are multiple guys who can step up for this Tennessee team, but I think beating them must start with limiting Williams production.<br /><br /><b>Prediction:</b> Tennessee overcame an 0-2 start in conference by cleaning up their play on the defensive end. Since that 0-2 start, the Vols are holding their opponents to 62.1 ppg. For the season, UT is forcing their opponents to turn the ball over on 21.6% of their possessions per game. That's among the top 40 in the country for that stat. And for an Alabama team that seems incapable at times of ball security, that stat doesn't give me a warm and fuzzy feeling. Should Alabama turn the ball over 15 or more times Saturday, I'm not convinced they can win the game. Alabama has been good at home this season with a 10-2 record in Coleman; with a sellout crowd on hand, I wouldn't be shocked if the team comes out ready to play and wins this game. Unfortunately, I have to agree with DJC in his recap post that UT is the most complete team in the league. I think they control the tempo, force Alabama into a halfcourt game, and, well, we've all seen how that's gone for Alabama this season. <b>Tennessee - 65 - Bama - 58</b><div class="blogger-post-footer">Alabama Hoops Feed. FEED ME!</div>MSmiliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00986547026900964686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24324432.post-2964541444633282822018-02-07T13:41:00.001-05:002018-02-07T13:41:09.026-05:00Mississippi $tate holds on late, Bulldogs 67 Bama 63This loss didn't bother me as much as some of the others.&nbsp; I felt like the team was motivated and played hard, but they just didn't play well enough to get the win on the road.&nbsp;<br /><br />It was an ugly, hard-to-watch game.&nbsp; I would imagine only the Bama and $tate die-hards managed to last through the whole thing.&nbsp; Neither team could make a shot, and the refs called so many fouls it became a long, drawn out, free throw shooting contest, as the teams combined for 58 attempts.&nbsp; This game is exhibit A as to why men's basketball needs to go to quarters.&nbsp; Nobody wants to watch nearly 60 free throws in a two and a half hour game.<br /><br />Neither team was able to take control of the game.&nbsp; We led by 5 for much of the first half, but trailed by 2 going into halftime.&nbsp; Donta Hall landed on his injured wrist late in the first half, and had to leave the game, but thankfully he returned and seemed fine in the second half.&nbsp; The $tate fans booed his injury, and if you've ever been to a game over there you know that's not surprising.&nbsp; They are mostly a classless bunch, but they make up for it by being totally unknowledegable.<br /><br />A slow start to the second half allowed $tate to build a 9 point lead, but our guys kept grinding and managed to come back and eventually re-take the lead.&nbsp; Sexton and Hall combined for an amazing steal around half-court when Sexton knocked the ball loose to Hall, who gave it back to Sexton, who threw an amazing over the shoulder alley-oop back to Donta.&nbsp; One key play in the game was around 5 minutes left, JP finally made a 3 to give us a one point lead, then after a defensive stop he hoisted a 30+ feet, contested brick about 3 seconds into the possession with nobody under the goal.<br /><br />The perimeter shooting was atrocious in this game.&nbsp; We were 3 of 18 from three point range.&nbsp; Key made one, Petty made the one wide-open shot referenced above, but was otherwise 0 for 7, and AJ made a desperation prayer late in the game, but then picked up a technical for calling a timeout that we didn't have.&nbsp; MSU missed the free throw, but then made one of two to put the game away.&nbsp; It's interesting that our last two trips to Starkville have resulted in late game technical fouls for calling timeouts.<br /><br />My biggest beef with this game was our shot selection in the final 4 minutes of the game.&nbsp; I don't know whether to put more blame on the players or the coaching staff, but as mentioned above, the refs were calling the game fairly tight, and we were not making any perimeter shots.&nbsp; We totally abandoned the post game and the dribble drive in the final minutes in favor of chucking 3s, despite not trailing by more than 4 until the final 30 seconds.&nbsp;<br /><br />Dan Giddens fouling out was a big factor in the game.&nbsp; He played well the 15 minutes he managed to stay on the court, scoring 11 points, but his foul trouble meant 8 minutes of mostly unproductive playing time from Galin Smith.&nbsp; We were also forced to go smaller late in the game, which hurt us on the glass.&nbsp;<br /><br />Sexton had a good game with 18 points and 5 rebounds, but he did go 0 for 7 from beyond the arc.&nbsp; I've been critical of AJ at times, and while he is a liability on defense and tends to dribble too much, he always plays hard, never quits, and is shooting as well as anybody on the team now.&nbsp; I would consider playing him more over Petty and maybe running him through some of the same screens to see if we can get him some open looks.&nbsp; He ended up with 9 points in 15 minutes.&nbsp; It was also good to see Key play fairly well, he ended up with 11 points and 6 rebounds.&nbsp; JP is killing us right now, he's a defensive liability, he's not making any shots, and he's compounding the problem with poor decision making.&nbsp; It's time for Herb to replace him in the starting lineup, in my opinion.&nbsp; I'm also a little surprised we didn't give Alex a chance to come in and break the perimeter drought, but I suppose Coach Avery was concerned he wouldn't be able to match up with $tate's physicality.&nbsp;<br /><br />Due to the early start I watched this game at a local establishment on my way home from work, and am pleased to report there were another 7 or 8 Bama basketball fans there, and they even put the audio on for us.&nbsp; Speaking of which, SEC Network's coverage was terrible.&nbsp; We missed live action at times because they were showing replays of Howland's "mic'ed up" segments, they routinely failed to explain whistles when the ref was not in the screen shot, and they neglected to show replays of several controversial foul calls.&nbsp;<br /><br />The loss drops us to 6-5 in the SEC and a four way tie for the coveted 4th seed in the SEC tournament.&nbsp; Due to some other games not going our way lately, we have dropped to 43 in the RPI.&nbsp; I still think we need 3 more wins to feel good about our chances on selection Sunday.<br /><br />Up next, the 15th ranked Tenneessee Vols come to Tuscaloosa for a 5pm start Saturday evening.&nbsp; I know auburn beat them and has a better record, but UT is the most complete team in the SEC in my opinion.&nbsp; The game is a sellout, and hopefully a good atmosphere can will our guys to another very high quality, and much needed, win.&nbsp; SEC Network will be handling the television broadcast again.&nbsp;<br /><br /><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Alabama Hoops Feed. FEED ME!</div>DJChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15941209983437626301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24324432.post-52777203959498702922018-02-05T07:00:00.000-05:002018-02-05T07:01:02.868-05:00Game Preview - at Mississippi State<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MNQv9KbmqAY/WngNnLGdUqI/AAAAAAAAAKc/UEt7mdVOJq4muXmErvNmkAVP8vDsy1ZJwCLcBGAs/s1600/usa_today_10583543.0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MNQv9KbmqAY/WngNnLGdUqI/AAAAAAAAAKc/UEt7mdVOJq4muXmErvNmkAVP8vDsy1ZJwCLcBGAs/s640/usa_today_10583543.0.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />This crazy, random Alabama men's basketball season continues following their big win in Gainesville over the weekend. The team will next travel to sunny Starkville, Mississippi on Tuesday night for a return game vs <b><a href="http://hailstate.com/cumestats.aspx?path=mbball&amp;year=2017" target="_blank">Mississippi State</a></b>. Alabama won the first matchup 68-62, and enter this game with a 6-4 conference record. State enters with a 5-5 record, and have won three straight. Game time is 6 P.M. CT. SEC Network will televise the game. Swallow your pride and click those links for team and KenPom stats.<br /><br /><b>My Two Cents:</b> I have no idea. Trying to figure out what you're going to get from this <b><a href="http://www.rolltide.com/cumestats.aspx?path=mbball&amp;year=2017" target="_blank">Alabama</a></b> team is an exercise in futility. If inconsistency breeds among the young, there is no greater example than this team. Saturday was a microcosm of this season. <b><a href="https://kenpom.com/team.php?team=Alabama" target="_blank">Alabama</a> </b>was pretty bad in the 1st half, turning the ball over fifteen times. Fortunately, Florida didn't play much better, and Alabama only trailed by six at the break. If Florida goes into halftime with a double digit lead, I'm not sure Bama comes back to win. Or maybe it wouldn't have mattered. Our guys smashed Florida in the face with a brick in the 2nd half, outscoring the Gators 41-17 en route to the largest margin of victory ever by an Alabama team in Gainesville. However, I'm not going to get too excited because we've seen this movie before following big wins. Will Tuesday night be any different?<br /><br />The win in Gainesville did take a little pressure off the game in Starkville. With nine games remaining, I thought the four game stretch beginning at Florida and ending with a home game vs LSU would be important. I thought Alabama needed to go 2-2 in that stretch, and at least 2-3 in the final five game stretch that includes road games at Kentucky, Auburn and A&amp;M, along with tough home tests vs Florida and Arkansas. With the quality wins already on their schedule, plus their overall schedule strength, I figure 18 wins is the magic number for Alabama to feel positive about their postseason hopes heading into St. Louis. If Alabama can find a way to consistently play at the level they did in the second half on Saturday, they should easily reach or surpass that number. If.<br /><br /><b>Players to Watch:</b> <b><a href="https://kenpom.com/player.php?p=40358" target="_blank">Collin Sexton</a> </b>may not be at 100% right now, but he's been fantastic in the last three games, averaging 19.3 ppg, 5 rpg, 3.3 apg, and 1.0 spg. That game at Florida was arguably his most complete day of the season, as he scored, rebounded, made some sweet passes that led to baskets, and played under control, even with the poor overall play of the team in the first half. I think we were all worried at various times this season that Collin's expected lone season in Tuscaloosa may not include an NCAA tournament appearance. It's not set in stone yet of course, but Collin's doing everything in his power to get this program to that finish line. Despite the ups and downs of the team this season, it's been a joy to watch this young man play the game of basketball in an Alabama uniform.<br /><br />You may remember <a href="https://kenpom.com/player.php?p=39178" target="_blank"><b>Lamar Peters</b></a> leading the charge for <a href="https://kenpom.com/team.php?team=Mississippi+St." target="_blank"><b>Mississippi State</b></a> in the first game at Coleman when the Bulldogs came storming back from a 19-point deficit in that game. Peters was on fire again this past Saturday vs Georgia, finishing with 20 points, 2 assists, and 4 steals. At times I watch Peters and wonder if he's a legitimate SEC guard, and then he has games such as he did against our guys in Tuscaloosa, and the game he had on Saturday, and I realize I just need to stop thinking that. Peters can play, and if this goes south for Alabama on Tuesday night I won't be shocked if it's largely because of his performance.<br /><br /><b>Prediction:</b> The way this season has gone, I should just drop this portion of the previews because it's become impossible to predict what will happen nightly in this league. In that way, Alabama is perfectly in harmony with the league in that nothing makes much sense. Auburn and Tennessee (picked 9th and 13th in the preseason poll) are at the top of the league, while Florida, Kentucky and pretty much every other team is chaos theory in action. However, I like to predict the games for a bit of fun. I actually went back to see what my record was in picking the games and was surprised to see that I have a 16-7 record in picking the winners this season. Better than I thought. Only a game off from Alabama's current win/loss record. Having read that now, you should bet your house on my predictions going forward....totally....no worries.<br /><br />I'll bet Ben Howland wishes now he had scheduled a better non-conference schedule. State sits at 5-5 in the league, but the non-conference schedule was so laughably bad (ranked 310th, 8 of their 17 wins have come against sub-200 RPI teams). A better non-conference schedule and State would be in the bubble conversation. As it stands, I believe they must win 10-11 conference games just to get on the bubble, despite their current RPI ranking of 58. I think this team is destined for an NIT postseason (not bad considering recent history), but that doesn't mean they're not playing well lately. As I mentioned, they've won three straight and enter this game with momentum. With Alabama's second half surge at Florida, does that mean we get only one good half of basketball Tuesday to even things out? I really want to pick Alabama to win this game, but I think State is playing well; and we can't just forget that 1st half happened in Gainesville on Saturday, can we? <b>Mississippi State - 71 - Bama - 69</b><div class="blogger-post-footer">Alabama Hoops Feed. FEED ME!</div>MSmiliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00986547026900964686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24324432.post-30662725567417025972018-02-04T15:09:00.001-05:002018-02-04T15:09:50.927-05:00Bracketology- I'll run with thisI'm just going to post links for now. Read into them what you may as predicting what this team will do is at best unpredictable.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology" target="_blank">ESPN</a>- Favorable match-up with Michigan before a nightmare match-up with Nova<br /><a href="https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/bracketology/" target="_blank">CBS Sports</a>- Miami then a rematch with Oklahoma<br /><br />The crazy thing is this team could go anywhere between 8-10 to 12-6 in conference. Honest to goodness, every game we have left is a toss up minus LSU who I think has quit.<br /><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Alabama Hoops Feed. FEED ME!</div>bobbyjacknoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24324432.post-37358594583047119062018-02-03T19:47:00.001-05:002018-02-03T19:47:02.499-05:00Gators Gagged, Alabama 68 Florida 50.It was a tale of two halves.&nbsp; Alabama stunk it up in the first half, but played awesome in the second, and scored its largest margin of victory win ever in Gainesville to improve to 15-8, 6-4 in the SEC.&nbsp;<br /><br />We went back to the big starting lineup with Dan getting the nod over Key.&nbsp; We had 5 turnovers in the first 5 minutes while Florida built a 9 point lead.&nbsp; Florida killed us with the pick and roll and back door cuts, and we couldn't hold on to the basketball on offense.&nbsp; We ended the first half with 15 turnovers, but thankfully Florida missed so many open shots we only trailed by 6 at the half.&nbsp;<br /><br />The Tide came out with renewed focus in the second half.&nbsp; In fairness, Florida's shot selection was pretty terrible, but we pushed the ball up the floor, had great ball movement, got some huge rebounds, and only turned it over 4 times in the second half.&nbsp;<br /><br />I've been hard on AJ here, but he was great at point.&nbsp; In fact, when we had the run about midway through the second half that gave us the lead for good, it was with a lineup that I really didn't have much faith in.&nbsp; AJ was nearly flawless at point, he made great decisions and ended up scoring 10 points.&nbsp; Collin had a great game, with 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists.&nbsp; Donta Hall was the MVP in my mind, as he posted a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds.&nbsp; He did a great job of running the floor, and was a big reason for our success in transition on both ends of the floor.&nbsp; Herb bounced back and was mostly back to his normal self after the bad game against Mizzou.&nbsp; He scored 6 points and played lock down defense as usual.&nbsp; Braxton Key responded well to coming off the bench.&nbsp; He had more turnovers than I would like, but provided a big spark with his 13 points and 5 rebounds.&nbsp; He also played very solid defense in the second half.&nbsp; For all of the talk about how our team has underachieved relative to its talent level, I think Mike White has some serious questions to answer to the Florida fanbase.&nbsp;<br /><br />The nationally televised games against top 25 opponents have not been our problem this season.&nbsp; We still need at least 3 more wins to feel good about getting an NCAA tournament bid.&nbsp; Let's see if we can keep the momentum going in lower profile games.<br /><br />Up next, we travel to starkville, MS Tuesday night to take on the Mississippi $tate bulldogs.&nbsp; Tip-off is set for 6pm on the SEC Network.&nbsp;<div class="blogger-post-footer">Alabama Hoops Feed. FEED ME!</div>DJChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15941209983437626301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24324432.post-73309196272080300542018-02-02T07:00:00.000-05:002018-02-02T07:00:16.249-05:00Game Preview - at Florida<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vB75571n27w/WnQURZeTCVI/AAAAAAAAAKM/Axl_QnQ7JKEAY3pHzxBo_zSnAMCqMzOMACLcBGAs/s1600/usa_today_10579648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1138" data-original-width="1600" height="454" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vB75571n27w/WnQURZeTCVI/AAAAAAAAAKM/Axl_QnQ7JKEAY3pHzxBo_zSnAMCqMzOMACLcBGAs/s640/usa_today_10579648.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />This roller coaster season for the Alabama men's basketball team continues on Saturday when they travel to Gainesville to face the <a href="http://floridagators.com/cumestats.aspx?path=basketball-men&amp;" target="_blank">Florida Gators</a>. <a href="http://www.rolltide.com/cumestats.aspx?path=mbball&amp;year=2017" target="_blank">Alabama</a> enters the game 5-4 in league play, while <a href="https://kenpom.com/team.php?team=Florida" target="_blank">Florida</a> enters with a 6-3 record. Both teams will seek to avoid back-to-back losses after poor mid-week performances. Game time is 3 P.M. CT. ESPN will handle the television duties. Hit the links for team and KenPom stats.<br /><br /><b>My Two Cents:</b> There were plenty of comments here after the game on Wednesday, and DJC, as always, provided an insightful recap of the game (please go back and read it if you haven't yet). There's nothing to add, it was a disappointing loss. In my opinion, it was the most disappointing loss of the season because of what preceded it, and what will now follow it. <a href="https://kenpom.com/team.php?team=Alabama" target="_blank">Alabama</a> faces a brutal back half of the SEC schedule that will ultimately decide its season. There was a chance with a win on Wednesday to have a little wriggle room entering this stretch of games, but oh well.....<br /><br />The SEC has been a meat grinder this season. Nine of the fourteen teams have five or mores losses in conference play, with the second half to go. Six teams are currently 4-5 in league play. What once looked like a league that could send as many as eight teams to the NCAA tournament is now hoping that the middle of the conference doesn't cannibalize itself before Selection Sunday. This is why Alabama's lack of urgency was so alarming vs Missouri because a few more nights like that in this conference, and this Bama team could find itself in a scenario that results in a Wednesday night appearance in the SEC tournament and a fanbase with dreams of what might have been. If that isn't hyperbolic enough for you, I'll go one further. The next nine games could determine the future of the Avery Johnson tenure. Everyone, including Avery, were pointing to year three. So far, it's been a mixed bag. If the year that everyone was pointing to is just more of the same for a program that has struggled to rise above mediocrity, is it fair to wonder if the years ahead will be any better? Speaking for myself, I embrace Avery's vision for the program. That vision has to include progress, though. Otherwise, it's just a dream.&nbsp; <br /><br />That may suggest that I sense doom and gloom for this team over the following six weeks. Not exactly. While this team has been a mess at times, I'm still a believer they find a way to win some more games and salvage this season. When we thought they were trending the wrong way previously, they've been able to do enough to get us back on board. Where this bounce back will take place though is impossible to predict based on the Jekyll &amp; Hyde nature of this group. I thought this team was turning a corner after the Oklahoma game, and that turned out to be foolish on my part. This team will likely win a few games remaining we don't think they can, while also dropping a few more we think they should win. That's the team we've been blessed with. Buckle up, indeed.<br /><br /><b>Players to Watch:</b> After some promising games in recent weeks, <a href="https://kenpom.com/player.php?p=38189" target="_blank"><b>Braxton Key</b></a> took a major step back on Wednesday night. He took one shot attempt in the game, went 1-2 from the free throw line in 23 minutes of game time. At this point, it's time to ask is it more than health that is affecting Braxton? Is he unsure of his place on this team? There were times Wednesday when the flow of the game was begging Braxton to step up and get involved, only to see him pass up shot attempts, and show virtually no confidence in creating offense for himself. It was a clear reminder that while these guys may like each other as people, I'm not certain they understand how to fit with each other on a basketball court. I certainly hope we see more from Braxton on Saturday than what we got on Wednesday. He's so much better than what this season has shown.<br /><br /><a href="https://kenpom.com/player.php?p=25616" target="_blank"><b>Chris Chiozza</b></a> is the heart of this Gator team. Maybe not the most talented, but he makes everything work. Take him away, and this is a very average team in my opinion. Along with Auburn's Jared Harper, Chiozza is the best pure point guard in the league. He's averaging 12.7 ppg (40% from 3), 6.1 apg (an assist/turnover ratio of 3.5) and 1.8 spg. If Alabama can't make him uncomfortable, they have no shot at winning this game.<br /><br /><b>Prediction:</b> If you want a reason for optimism for the game Saturday, consider that 1] Florida plays a style that makes this a better matchup for Alabama (i.e. they're not going to slow the game down to a crawl and exploit Alabama's lack of toughness around the rim unless John Egbunu makes a surprise debut), and 2] Alabama can't play much worse than they did on Wednesday night. I expect a better effort on Saturday. Unfortunately, I don't think it will be enough. Florida has been an enigma themselves this season, but they haven't lost back-to-back games since a 3-game slide during their non-conference schedule in late November/early December. If this game was in Tuscaloosa, I'd be tempted to pick Alabama. With the game in Gainesville, I don't have the confidence in this Alabama team right now to pick them to win this one. Bama shows up, but falls short. <b>Florida - 71 - Bama - 68</b>&nbsp; <div class="blogger-post-footer">Alabama Hoops Feed. FEED ME!</div>MSmiliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00986547026900964686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24324432.post-49469184485754059212018-02-01T16:49:00.001-05:002018-02-01T16:49:11.611-05:00Talking TournamentWith the calendar now turned to February, we are just one short month away from March Madness, and I thought now would be a good time to evaluate where we stand at this point in the season and our post season chances.&nbsp;<br /><br />We are currently 14-8, 5-4 in the SEC, with an RPI of 41, and a very good strength of schedule ranking&nbsp; 10th in the nation.&nbsp; We have quite a few quality wins, including over RPI 7 auburn, 9 Rhode Island, 11 Oklahoma and number 30 Texas A&amp;M.&nbsp; We've avoided the bad losses, although it doesn't feel that way having watched some of those games.&nbsp; For resume purposes, our worst losses are to 126 Vandy on the road, 122 Minnesota on a neutral site (but I think everyone knows to put an asterisk by that one) and #70 UCF at home.&nbsp; The only real concerning part of our resume right now is the lack of quality wins away from home.&nbsp; We did beat #69 BYU on a neutral site and have a top 100 road win at #82 LSU.<br /><br />Jerry Palm has not updated his bracket, but he had us as a 9 seed in the Midwest before the Mizzou loss.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/bracketology" target="_blank">Joe Lunardi</a>&nbsp;has us as a 9 seed in the East, opening up in Pittsburgh against Michigan.&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.realtimerpi.com/bracketology/bracketology_Men.html" target="_blank">RealTimeRPI</a>&nbsp;has us as an 8 seed in the West bracket playing Gonzaga in the first round in Raleigh.&nbsp;<br /><br />These brackets project if the tournament started today, but there's a lot of basketball to be played, and we still have a very formidable schedule to navigate.&nbsp; The bottom line is, barring something unusual happening, with our resume and strength of schedule, we probably just need to get to 18 wins to get in.&nbsp; If we win any 4 of the remaining regular season games, we'll be in, worst case scenario would be Dayton.&nbsp; I think 3 more wins might be enough to get us to Dayton if everything falls right, and 5 more wins has us in comfortably.<br /><br />In previous years when we've been on the bubble, I've posted a daily "bubble watch," updating where we stand with various bracketologists and the best outcomes for us on that day's games.&nbsp; Unless others feel strongly about me doing it again this year, I think I'm going to discontinue that feature because every year I've done it, we've failed to make the tournament.&nbsp; I think most people know where to find the various projected brackets, and generally speaking, we need to root for teams we have played and against other teams that are on the bubble.<br /><br /><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Alabama Hoops Feed. FEED ME!</div>DJChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15941209983437626301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24324432.post-54665300566009774272018-02-01T11:36:00.001-05:002018-02-01T11:36:06.576-05:00MIS-ERY. Mizzou 69 Alabama 60Alabama looked flat and unprepared in an ugly loss to Mizzou, falling to 5-4 and 5th place in the SEC.&nbsp; Give the Tigers credit, they beat us in nearly every facet of the game.&nbsp;<br /><br />Cuonzo Martin had a great game plan for us.&nbsp; They controlled the tempo and made it an ugly, half court game.&nbsp; They played physical defense, and while we were able to get them in foul trouble, we couldn't capitalize at the free throw line.&nbsp; Offensively they took advantage of our hap-hazard switching patterns and patiently waited to get a mis-match.&nbsp; They used their stretch bigs to get our rim defenders out on the perimeter.&nbsp; They even ran the old 3-man weave, with some success, toward the end of the game.<br /><br />Our bigs had a terrible night.&nbsp; Dan was in foul trouble and managed to play 14 minutes without grabbing a single rebound.&nbsp; Galin Smith has stepped up at times this season, but he looked completely lost in his 10 minutes of play.&nbsp; He couldn't stop the more athletic bigs for Mizzou, and offensively he brought their defenders into the lane multiple times when Collin or Dazon were driving.&nbsp; Donta had 9 points and 4 rebounds, but was a non-factor defensively, chasing guys out to the perimeter and he didn't record a single block.<br /><br />Sexton played well, he ended up with 23 points but just couldn't make the shots we needed from him down the stretch.&nbsp; Mizzou built a 12 point lead in the first half, but we chipped away and Collin made a 3 at the buzzer to cut it to within 2.&nbsp; To play so poorly in the first half, shoot around 50% from the free throw line, and still only be down 2; I thought surely we would play better in the second half and take control of the game.&nbsp; Unfortunately, it was Missouri who would dictate the flow of the game in the second half.&nbsp; We managed to tie it a couple of times, but the Tigers always answered with at least a 5-0 run.&nbsp;<br /><br />We were dominated on the glass, 37-27.&nbsp; They had a 6'2" guard pull down 9 rebounds.&nbsp; They out hustled us to every loose ball.&nbsp;<br /><br />The only thing we did well as a team was get to the free throw line.&nbsp; Unfortunately, we only made 21 of 32.&nbsp; We had a strength advantage in the post, but as I mentioned above none of the bigs had a good night.&nbsp; I felt like our guys got frustrated with their missed free throws and started taking ill advised threes late in the game.&nbsp; The dribble drive was the only thing that was remotely effective on offense.&nbsp; Other than Sexton, Dazon had a decent game with 10 points.&nbsp; Everyone else sucked.&nbsp; JP was jacking up off-balanced 3s.&nbsp; Herb had one of his worst games of the year.&nbsp; He was decent defensively, but not on the level he's been in recent games, and his offensive game was atrocious.&nbsp; I can chalk this one up to being a true freshman from a small town coming off a game where everyone is talking about how many NBA scouts are watching you.&nbsp; Braxton Key played 23 minutes and took one shot from the field.&nbsp; He passed up some open looks, and that was really disappointing given his recent improvements.&nbsp;<br /><br />This team has been an inconsistent roller coaster, and I have little doubt we will have more ups and downs to come.&nbsp; We look great at times and awful at times.&nbsp; I think what is most frustrating about this loss is that there was real reason to hope we had turned the corner against OU.&nbsp; If you look at our other terrible games, you can come up with reasons or explanations for each.&nbsp; UCF/Mercer/Texas- young team, early in season, injuries, and trying to figure out the rotation.&nbsp; Georgia?&nbsp; Ingram out, young team on the road, still figuring out the rotation.&nbsp; Ole Miss and Vandy?&nbsp; You could put the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls in Alabama uniforms and they would probably lose in those gyms.<br /><br />Going into this game, we finally seemed to have everyone healthy, settled on a rotation, and were playing at home.&nbsp; Sure, I was afraid of a let down after the win Saturday, but Collin's words in the post-game press conference gave me confidence his leadership could keep the team focused and motivated for the next game.&nbsp; I listened to Coach Avery speak at the Birmingham Tip-off Club Monday, and he talked about the team taking inspiration from the trip to the Naval Academy earlier in the year, and handling success by continuing to be resilient, embrace adversity, and give 100% everyday/every play to move from that "good" to "elite" level.&nbsp; Either he is full of feces, unable to effectively communicate his message to his players, or they aren't buying in, because I saw absolutely no evidence of any of those things on the court last night.<br /><br />The crowd was almost as pathetic as the play on the court.&nbsp; I would guess there were no more than 7,000 or so there.&nbsp; I know this will probably ruffle some feathers, but our fanbase deserves it's fair share of blame for this loss.&nbsp; This team seems to feed off of big, loud crowds and positive energy.&nbsp; Perhaps, a packed, supportive house would have been able to motivate the guys to overcome the OU hangover.&nbsp; I don't get it, we've had some big crowds for lesser games coming off worse performances at less convenient times.&nbsp; With our last 3 home games being wins over rivals and/or top 15 ranked teams, we can't even fill half of the place at 8 pm on a Wednesday night?&nbsp; That's inexcusable.&nbsp;<br /><br />Up next, we travel to Florida to take on the Gators in Gainesville.&nbsp; Tip-off is set for 3pm Central time Saturday, and it will be televised on ESPN.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Alabama Hoops Feed. FEED ME!</div>DJChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15941209983437626301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24324432.post-86411521447494135082018-01-30T07:00:00.000-05:002018-01-30T07:00:13.436-05:00Game Preview - Missouri<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UYPuSzqZ9ZM/WnAcwPuJrdI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/zTR4Owml1_85w5UbY60A39zAxqhKHls0QCLcBGAs/s1600/457_a320180127__ala_bkc_g21_oklahoma__060__vh.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="960" height="440" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UYPuSzqZ9ZM/WnAcwPuJrdI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/zTR4Owml1_85w5UbY60A39zAxqhKHls0QCLcBGAs/s640/457_a320180127__ala_bkc_g21_oklahoma__060__vh.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />On the heels of the biggest win of the season, the Alabama men's basketball team will look to keep the good times rolling on Wednesday night when they host the <a href="http://mutigers.com/cumestats.aspx?path=mbball&amp;year=2017" target="_blank">Missouri Tigers</a>. Alabama resumes conference play with a 5-3 record, while Missouri is looking to get back on track after falling to 3-5 in conference play following a loss at Mississippi State on Saturday. The Tigers have lost three straight and four of their last five. Game time is 8 P.M. CT. ESPN2 will handle the television duties. As always, click the links for team and KenPom stats.<br /><br /><b>My Two Cents</b>: As fun as Saturday was, I'm ready to see how this young <a href="http://www.rolltide.com/cumestats.aspx?path=mbball&amp;year=2017" target="_blank">Alabama</a> team handles success. Saturday's win was not only big for this season, but a great win for the program as Avery Johnson continues to build it. This team has to feel good about themselves, but does it come at the expense of the focus that it took to reach the level of improvement that we've seen in the last few weeks? It's important to remember this is a program that is still learning how to win consistently. <a href="https://kenpom.com/team.php?team=Missouri" target="_blank">Missouri</a> enters this game 3-5 in league play, and are in desperate need of a win to keep themselves in the NCAA tournament discussion. We've seen both ends of the spectrum with this <a href="https://kenpom.com/team.php?team=Alabama" target="_blank">Alabama</a> team. They're talented enough to beat anyone, but we've also seen them play so poorly that they can lose to anyone as well. Missouri is still ranked in KenPom's top 50 so overlooking them would be a mistake. Alabama needs to put the Oklahoma game in the rearview mirror and come out ready to play Wednesday night.<br /><br /><b>Players to Watch:</b> <a href="https://kenpom.com/player.php?p=40666" target="_blank"><b>Herbert Jones</b></a> picked a great time to have his best game of the season. Fifty-seven NBA scouts were on hand Saturday to watch Trae Young and Collin Sexton, but I'm sure more than a few of those scouts took note of Herb's play, particularly his defensive effort against Young. I don't think Herb is going to shoot up draft boards this season (I'm guessing scouts would like to see him get stronger and develop his jump shot first), but if he continues his steady development through this season and into the summer, he could be a breakout player next season, and a potential draft pick. He's blessed with length, athleticism, and what appears to be a strong basketball IQ. The sky is the limit for this young man. I'm glad he's on our side.<br /><br /><a href="https://kenpom.com/player.php?p=25264" target="_blank"><b>Kassius Robertson</b></a> has been a pleasant surprise for the Tigers. The grad transfer from Canisius is leading Missouri in scoring at 15.7 ppg, and is a dangerous 3-point shooter (41.2%). He's also second on the team in assists (2.1), and steals (1.0). He's playing like a guy with one season left in his college career that's trying to make the most of that one season. And while the Tigers lost star freshman Michael Porter, Jr. to an injury in the first game of the season, his brother, <a href="https://kenpom.com/player.php?p=40929" target="_blank"><b>Jontay Porter</b></a>, has been a good addition to this Missouri program. He's leading the team in rebounds (6.6), is a good passer (2 assists per game), and is capable of stepping outside of the paint and knocking down perimeter shots when necessary. His best years are likely ahead of him, but he's good enough right now to give our guys some headaches on Wednesday night. <br /><br /><b>Prediction:</b> Missouri averaged 77 points through their first two conference games, but in their following six games, they're averaging just 62.3 points per game. If Alabama continues to play at the high level on defense they've displayed in conference (still tops in conference-only defensive efficiency at KenPom), Missouri's scoring woes may continue. I think Alabama matches up fine. My concern remains the mindset of this team coming off their biggest win of the season, and how prepared they are to play a team that desperately needs a win to avoid a four-game losing streak. Young teams struggle to play at a consistently high level, resulting in playing to the level of their competition some nights. Something to keep in mind if this game is close down the stretch: As a team, Missouri shoots 75% from the free throw line.<br /><br />My optimism lies in the fact that Alabama not only played well on Saturday against a top 15 team, but they also looked as healthy as we've seen them in many games. Collin had his explosiveness back, Donta did not look limited by his wrist, and Braxton is putting consistent efforts together now. We've been saying all season that if this team could get close to 100%, they had a chance to be a really good team. The final ten games on the schedule are daunting, but not impossible to navigate if this team is healthy. Assuming they're healthy and focused on Wednesday night, I feel confident that our guys will continue to play well at home (10-1 so far this season). Missouri keeps it close, but a late run is the difference. <b>Bama - 73 - Missouri - 62&nbsp; </b><div class="blogger-post-footer">Alabama Hoops Feed. FEED ME!</div>MSmiliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00986547026900964686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24324432.post-33832688079077412102018-01-28T14:16:00.000-05:002018-01-28T14:16:09.652-05:00Bama Burns Boomers, Alabama 80 Oklahoma 73.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-77V1tQSJGN4/Wm4ahKVzW-I/AAAAAAAABWg/cd0WGAjcClkYLrll3u_T1S8e-K367b0MACLcBGAs/s1600/20180127_131521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-77V1tQSJGN4/Wm4ahKVzW-I/AAAAAAAABWg/cd0WGAjcClkYLrll3u_T1S8e-K367b0MACLcBGAs/s320/20180127_131521.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />Saturday was my girlfriend's 40th Birthday, and the Tide gave her the best gift of all, an upset W over the 12th ranked team in the country.&nbsp; The coaching staff deserves a lot of credit for coming up with a great gameplan.&nbsp; I expected us to play Young straight up, and concede that he would score 30-40 points, but try to slow the game down and force him to try to beat us by himself.&nbsp; Instead, we did the exact opposite.&nbsp; We threw several different looks at Young, including double-teams and fronting him to deny him the ball, and held him to his lowest total since his college debut.&nbsp; Collin, Herb, Dazon, Key, and even AJ were matched up with him at various points in the game.<br /><br />It was a great team effort and everyone contributed in some positive way.&nbsp; Petty made three 3s in the first half.&nbsp; Although he struggled with turnovers and didn't play great defensively the rest of the game, his early scoring opened up the offense and provided us with an early lead and some much needed confidence.&nbsp; With dozens of NBA scouts in attendance, Collin Sexton certainly helped his cause.&nbsp; He showed great leadership running point, played nice defense on Trae Young, showcased his strength around the basket and even posting up the OU guards.&nbsp; He finished with 18 points, but more importantly, I thought he played smart and within the system.&nbsp; He did not get out of control or try to do too much as we've seen at times this year.&nbsp;<br /><br />The NBA scouts may have been there to see Collin and Trae, but I imagine most also left with quite a few positive notes on Herb Jones.&nbsp; Herb continues to be our best all around player.&nbsp; He scored a career high 14 points, but more importantly played lock down defense on Trae Young.&nbsp; When Herb was fronting him it was impossible for Young to get the basketball.&nbsp; He also had 3 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, and a couple of crowd inciting dunks.&nbsp; He ran the point at times while mostly playing in the 3 spot.&nbsp;<br /><br />Braxton Key had 11 points and 5 rebounds and is continuing to improve.&nbsp; He made a couple of huge 3s in the second half after Oklahoma had battled back to the take the lead.&nbsp; Key has been making some big plays at key moments for us lately, and it's great to see him getting back on track.&nbsp; I think some of the criticism of him has been unfair.<br /><br />Donta was a force inside.&nbsp; He ended up with 8 blocks, 9 points, and 7 rebounds.&nbsp; His presence in protecting the rim was huge for our defense.&nbsp; Dan also had 9 rebounds in 17 minutes.<br /><br />Dazon contributed with 8 points, but also played nice defense and made the free throws when we needed them most toward the end of the game.&nbsp; We were only 12 of 22 from the line, but we seem to make the ones that count the most.&nbsp;<br /><br />I thought the playing rotation was much better.&nbsp; Galin Smith did not play, and AJ only played 8 minutes while Collin got 32.&nbsp;<br /><br />Lon Kruger is a good coach, but I don't understand his thought process in the final couple of minutes.&nbsp; He seemed to throw in the towel when he was down 8 with still nearly a minute and a half remaining.&nbsp; I was surprised they took Young out, and did not foul and attempt to extend the game.<br /><br />This was a huge win for the program.&nbsp; Obviously it's a nice resume builder, but it also helped secure a win for the SEC in the Big 12/SEC Challenge.&nbsp; More importantly, it was in front of a truly packed house.&nbsp; We've missed some opportunities for big home wins in recent years, but hopefully with victories now over auburn and Oklahoma, we are beginning to establish a true home court advantage.&nbsp;<br /><br />The crowd was fantastic.&nbsp; I'm not a big fan of the "white outs."&nbsp; In fact, I refused to participate and stuck with my gray Bama basketball tshirt.&nbsp; Every time I have participated in the white-out, we've lost.&nbsp; Anyway, the fans were loud and enthusiastic the whole game.&nbsp; There were very few OU fans in attendance and they were relegated to the top corner.&nbsp; It was the best atmosphere I've seen in the building in many years.&nbsp; My only complaint was the constant "o-ver-ra-ted" chants at Trae Young and OU, particularly early in the game.&nbsp; Those could have really came back to haunt us.&nbsp; Furthermore, Young is certainly NOT overrated.&nbsp; He just scored 17 on a "bad day."&nbsp; Saying OU is overrated diminishes what our guys accomplished, in my opinion.&nbsp;<br /><br />Up next, it's back to the SEC grind as the Mizzou Tigers come in for a late 8pm tipoff Wednesday night.&nbsp; The margin for error is still razor thin, so we can't afford a let out.&nbsp; Hopefully another sell out crowd will help keep the guys fired up.&nbsp; The game will be televised on ESPN2.<br /><br /><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Alabama Hoops Feed. FEED ME!</div>DJChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15941209983437626301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24324432.post-50441721905792665562018-01-26T11:34:00.002-05:002018-01-26T11:48:07.326-05:00Sleeping With the Enemy-OklahomaI reached out to Jack Shields at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.crimsonandcreammachine.com/" target="_blank">Crimson and Cream Machine</a>&nbsp;to get his take on tomorrow's matchup with the Sooners.&nbsp; He kindly provided the response below.&nbsp; If you visit Crimson and Cream Machine, follow the site's rules and be a good representative of our University.&nbsp; Along those same lines, I would like to encourage everyone attending&nbsp; the game to be hospitable and welcoming to any visiting OU fans you may encounter.&nbsp; I attended a basketball game in Norman several years back (as well as a football game), and generally found them to be one of the classiest and most respectful fan bases I've encountered.&nbsp; Let's return the favor.<br /><br /><i>Things begin and end with freshman Trae Young, who leads the nation in both scoring (30.3 PPG) and assists (9.6 APG). Young ends up in the highlights for his deep threes, but his game is really so much more than that. He might have the quickest first step in college basketball and is great at getting by the first defender. Once he gets by, he either kicks it to a teammate for an open attempts, put up a floater or draws contact and gets to the line (or just gets a bucket at the rim). His weapons on the perimeter have to be respected, as well. Fellow freshman Brady Manek is 6'9" and has one of the quickest releases in the nation, so pretty much every look is a good look for him. Christian James has also had a good season and has hit many a clutch shot for the Sooners this season. Rashard Odomes, who isn't much of a shooter, is probably the teams best creator not named Trae Young. He's a long and athletic wing who finishes well around the rim and often draws contact.&nbsp;</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>The most effective strategy teams have used to slow the offense has been to pressure Young early in a possession, force him to give up the ball and blanket him with the purpose of making sure the ball doesn't go back to him. Young's teammates are talented, but they're obviously not quite as adept at creating their own opportunities.</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>This team has struggled at times defensively, although the defensive PPG average can largely be attributed to the team's offensive tempo (more possessions = more buckets). Nonetheless, Oklahoma sometimes struggles with perimeter defense. However, this team is talented enough to get stops when need be and has done just that in critical situations all season long.</i><br /><i><br /></i><i>The most intriguing part of this game is obviously the matchup between Trae Young and Collin Sexton. Lon Kruger likes to keep Young out of difficult defensive situations in the first half in order to avoid foul trouble, so don't be surprised to see someone like Odomes matched up on Sexton early in this one. As far as a prediction is concerned, I'm thinking this one will be close due to the fact that Young and his teammates haven't fared well on the road as of late. In OU's last three road games, Young has tried to put too much of the load on his own shoulders as opposed to simply running offense and getting his teammates going. Those problems have likely arisen due to the fact that OU has gotten behind early in those games, so a fast start will be crucial for OU in this one. Prediction: Oklahoma 87, Alabama 79.&nbsp; &nbsp;</i><br /><div><br /></div><br /><div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div><br /></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">Alabama Hoops Feed. FEED ME!</div>DJChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15941209983437626301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24324432.post-38501740700474524142018-01-26T07:00:00.000-05:002018-01-26T07:00:16.909-05:00Game Preview - Oklahoma<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6Og7JE0tZbE/WmmIuvtgo0I/AAAAAAAAAJs/oIF3tZs1t4g7G_Uchc7-A94Am2_gC4KuQCLcBGAs/s1600/KG3_0158.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="843" data-original-width="1500" height="358" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6Og7JE0tZbE/WmmIuvtgo0I/AAAAAAAAAJs/oIF3tZs1t4g7G_Uchc7-A94Am2_gC4KuQCLcBGAs/s640/KG3_0158.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />The Alabama men's basketball team is coming off a disappointing performance in Oxford, but they have no time to linger on that game because the 12th ranked <a href="http://www.soonersports.com/pdf9/5465705.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=31000" target="_blank">Oklahoma Sooners</a> are coming to town on Saturday as part of the Big 12/SEC Challenge. This will be the biggest non-conference game in Coleman in many years; not only because Oklahoma is ranked, but because they have the frontrunner for national player of the year, Trae Young. The university has announced that the game is a sellout. Game time is 1:15 P.M. CT. ESPN will televise the game. Click the links for team and KenPom stats.<br /><br /><b>My Two Cents:</b> Social media was rife with angry <a href="http://www.rolltide.com/cumestats.aspx?path=mbball&amp;year=2017" target="_blank">Alabama</a> fans following the loss to Ole Miss. I get it to some extent: the hype for this team entering the season was the highest it's been in many years. At 13-7 (5-3), there has been a fluctuation among the fans of how good or bad this team is. The thing to remember is that all of the goals for this team are still possible. The team is only two games out of first place in conference play in a league with no elite team, and many bracketologists have the team projected in the NCAA tournament field.<br /><br />Something that I think is being missed by some fans upset with the program at the moment is that this is one of the youngest teams in the country. <a href="https://kenpom.com/height.php" target="_blank">KenPom has Bama ranked 348 out of 351 teams in terms of experience. </a>They've also played a top 20 ranked strength of schedule. When you look at it from that angle, one of the youngest teams in the country being 13-7, two games over .500 in conference play, and currently projected in the NCAA field isn't the worst thing in the world is it? Does this team have talent? Yes. Talent is important. You can't win long or short-term without talent. But even more important than talent is experience. Kentucky has a hall of fame coach, and five star recruits dotting their roster, but they're also the youngest team in the country in those same KenPom rankings. Lo and behold, they're struggling, and Kentucky fans are freaking out without stopping to think how young this team is and how difficult it is to win road games in conference play with experienced players. Alabama fans just need to breathe, take it one game at a time, let this season play out, and let's see where things stand at the end.<br /><br />If <a href="https://kenpom.com/team.php?team=Alabama" target="_blank">Alabama</a> can upset the Sooners on Saturday, it would be a huge boost to their NCAA tournament resume. The funny thing about young teams is they typically play better at home, in front of supportive fans. This Alabama team should have the most support they've seen all season on Saturday. When these sellouts are announced, I always smile to myself because it means tickets sold, but it doesn't always mean butts will be in seats. The crowds have been good this season, even during some of the struggles, which is a good thing to see. Saturday should be special, though. If Coleman is going to truly reach capacity, it will be Saturday. The greatest atmosphere I ever experienced in person at Coleman was back in 2002 when Alabama beat Florida at the buzzer, courtesy of Antoine Pettway. The arena was a powder keg that blew when Pett made that shot. I was hugging complete strangers, and the energy from the crowd around us knocked my father to the floor (he was okay). I expect that kind of energy will be there on Saturday; and if Alabama can get off to a good start and play a strong 40 minutes of basketball, it should be a fun time for all in the grand old building. Let's hope it ends in a win.<br /><br /><b>Players to Watch:</b> It goes without saying that it's going to take a total team effort from Alabama to knock off <a href="https://kenpom.com/team.php?team=Oklahoma" target="_blank">Oklahoma</a>, but it wouldn't hurt if we saw <a href="https://kenpom.com/player.php?p=40358" target="_blank"><b>Collin Sexton</b></a> play at his A level. Collin returned to the court on Tuesday night after a two game absence due to an abdominal injury. He played twenty minutes, and had arguably the worst game of his college career. He went 2-13 from the field, finishing with only 7 points. Surprisingly, he did not turn the ball over (per the box score anyway), but it was still a rough night for him. The Ole Miss student section treated him to chants of "overrated" as a result. We all know Collin isn't overrated, but games like Saturday demand great performances from your top players. Collin has to rise to the occasion on Saturday.<br /><br />Duh, it's <a href="https://kenpom.com/player.php?p=41659" target="_blank"><b>Trae Young</b></a>. He's the frontrunner for national player of the year. He's leading the nation in points per game (30.3). He's leading the nation in assists per game (9.6). He's top five in the nation in field goals attempted. He's a projected lottery pick. He was efficient in the Sooners win vs Kansas on Tuesday, scoring 26 points with just nine field goal attempts. He also dished out 9 assists. He has elevated this team around him, and the sky is the limit for how far this Oklahoma team can advance in March if Young is performing at a high level, and getting consistent help from his teammates. It will be fascinating to watch how Avery and his assistant coaches gameplan for Young. One thing Avery has done consistently well during his tenure is come up with successful gameplans with his staff to limit the opposing team's best player.<br /><br /><b>Prediction:</b> The Sooners play one of the fastest tempos in college basketball. They're also efficient, currently ranked in the top 15 nationally by KenPom in offensive efficiency. They're not great defensively, but some of that is because their pace creates a lot of shots for them, but also a lot of shots for their opponents. Some nights those opponents shoot well, which inflates the numbers. I'm not sure our guys can stop Oklahoma from playing at the pace they want to (Alabama's roster this season isn't really built for slowing the game down anyway). This means Alabama will have to be very good in their transition defense, and they have got to defend the 3-point line, which has been an issue for them at times this season. Alabama must create turnovers, protect the ball themselves, win the rebounding stat on both ends (you've got to do whatever you can to limit Oklahoma's possession and shot count while continuing to be aggressive), and be efficient from the field and free throw line. Hoping to beat Oklahoma by scoring in the 60s or 70s probably doesn't get it done. Our guys probably have to score in the 80s, maybe even the 90s, to put themselves in a position to win. It's going to be a tremendous challenge.<br /><br />Oklahoma is the better team, but the game is in Tuscaloosa, in front of what should be an awesome crowd. If the team embraces this opportunity, I think they've got a chance to win this game. They will have to play the best game they've played all season to do it. Are they ready for this? They've played a top 20 schedule. They've been in close games against mid-majors, been humbled in a few games, played at a national power in Arizona, have gone through the ups and downs of conference play, but also won four straight games despite not being completely healthy, including handing the lone conference loss to the league leader, Auburn. Our guys haven't seen a team quite like Oklahoma, but this Alabama team is battle-tested. And that is why I think Alabama is going to win this game Saturday. I've been disappointed before when having high expectations for games, but my gut feeling is that this is going to be a spectacular game with big plays on both sides, tension, highs and lows. It could be the best game of the challenge when all is said and done. For those of you in attendance, I envy you. I hope you have a great time, and I hope you witness a Bama victory. <b>Bama - 93 - Oklahoma - 88</b>&nbsp; <div class="blogger-post-footer">Alabama Hoops Feed. FEED ME!</div>MSmiliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00986547026900964686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24324432.post-45803670098973789902018-01-24T13:44:00.000-05:002018-01-24T13:44:33.036-05:00Rebels Roll over Tide, Ole Miss 78 Alabama 66Alabama had a huge run in the first half, but gave it right back and more, and the Rebels cruised for most of the second half.&nbsp;<br /><br />Collin Sexton returned, but did not start.&nbsp; The starting lineup was Dazon, Petty, Herb, Key, and Dan.&nbsp; I missed the start of this one, as I had a meeting that ran late.&nbsp; Ole Miss somehow built an 18-9 lead early in the game, but as soon as I started watching, we answered with an 18-0 run to take a 9 point lead of our own.&nbsp; I was feeling pretty good about things as we were forcing turnovers, playing good defense, moving the ball well offensively, and making some outside shots.&nbsp; Then Dazon picked up his third foul, and with other foul trouble and Collin and Donta still having injury limitations, we had to put some unusual lineups on the floor.&nbsp; Ole Miss answered with a big run of their own and had a 10 point lead going into the half.&nbsp; We cut it to 1 at the start of the second half, but poor shot selection on offense and less than stellar defense allowed the Rebels to slowly build the lead back to double-digits.<br /><br />Sexton played 20 minutes, but did not play well coming off his injury.&nbsp; He was 2 of 13 from the floor, and was hell bent on driving to the basket and trying to force a shot in traffic.&nbsp; The Ole Miss defense was collapsing on him, and I wish he would look to kick back out to his teammates more instead of looking to get bailed out with a foul call.&nbsp; Once Ole Miss was able to control the pace of the game, there was no way we were beating them in a half-court game.&nbsp; To their credit they did a much better job of handling our press as the game went on.<br /><br />On the positive side, Donta scored 14 points in 17 minutes and added 7 rebounds.&nbsp; His wrist seems to be improving and hopefully he can return to the starting lineup soon and get more minutes going forward.&nbsp; I thought Dazon played well overall, 10 points and 8 rebounds, but his first half foul trouble really hurt us.<br /><br />I've said before that Petty seems to be the key to this team's success, and he was just one of 8 from the field, and took some terrible contested shots early in the shot clock.&nbsp; He seems to be a different player at home than he is on the road.&nbsp; I'm normally not an advocate of using multiple starting lineups, in fact I think the 9 different lineups we've used this year is a major contributing factor to our struggles, but, I would consider using him off the bench and limiting his minutes in road games at this point.<br /><br />Once again, long stretches with AJ and Collin in the game at the same time killed us.&nbsp; We ran way too much Iso and pick n roll for Collin when he was clearly not 100%.&nbsp; AJ is a liability on defense and did not have a good offensive night, but still logged 23 minutes.&nbsp; I thought there was too much standing around watching Sexton drive into traffic on offense.&nbsp; We need to use him in a more traditional role in our half-court sets.&nbsp;<br /><br />Key had 7 points and 5 rebounds, and made the only 3 point shot he took, but he also passed up some open shots when we ultimately settled for some very bad shots later in the possession.&nbsp; He played pretty good defense, but needs to have more confidence in his shot.&nbsp;<br /><br />Rebounding was about even, but that's an area we should have won against this team.&nbsp; Key, Galin, and Donta were all guilty of giving up second chance points at times because they failed to box out.&nbsp; <br /><br />Officiating certainly didn't cost us this game, but Collin was not getting the benefit of the calls on any contact, and Bruce Stevens now owes real estate taxes on the paint, as I'm pretty sure he's still camped out down there.<br /><br />The loss wasn't unexpected, we were underdogs according to Vegas and we have a horrible track record in Oxford, but it was disappointing to play so fundamentally poor with the exception of the big run in the first half.&nbsp;<br /><br />Up next, the SEC-Big 12 challenge as highly ranked Oklahoma comes to Tuscaloosa for a 1:15 start Saturday.&nbsp; The Sooners are coming off a huge win over Kansas, and this may be the biggest non-conference game in Coleman since the Gottfried era.&nbsp; I am excited for this one, despite the bad game last night; I expect a competitive game and think we have a chance to get a huge win.&nbsp; It will be televised on ESPN.<div class="blogger-post-footer">Alabama Hoops Feed. FEED ME!</div>DJChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15941209983437626301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24324432.post-8376086659934331722018-01-23T07:00:00.000-05:002018-01-23T07:00:30.074-05:00Game Preview - at Ole Miss<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2w0Gv6Wvnkc/WmWZ4t4XXdI/AAAAAAAAAJc/KTX0EJhwUP4nWYwTlh1So_wvXXfseI2-wCLcBGAs/s1600/_RS20866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2w0Gv6Wvnkc/WmWZ4t4XXdI/AAAAAAAAAJc/KTX0EJhwUP4nWYwTlh1So_wvXXfseI2-wCLcBGAs/s640/_RS20866.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />As DJC mentioned in his Mississippi State recap (scroll down!), the Alabama men's basketball team owns the SEC's longest winning streak at four games. They're also alone in second place with a 5-2 conference record. They will return to the road on Tuesday night when they travel to Oxford to play <a href="http://www.olemisssports.com/sports/m-baskbl/stats/2017-2018/teamcume.html#TEAM.OCF" target="_blank">Ole Miss</a>. The Rebels are 3-4 in conference play. Game time is 7:30 P.M. CT. SEC Network once again handling the television duties. Click those links for team and KenPom stats.<br /><br /><b>My Two Cents:</b> <a href="https://kenpom.com/team.php?team=Mississippi" target="_blank">Ole Miss</a> struggled in home games in the nonconference, losing three of their nine games at home. They've been better in conference play, winning all three of their home games, including a win over conference leader Florida. They're 3-4 in league play, but lost their previous two games - both road games - by a combined six points so they could conceivably be 5-2 in conference alongside <a href="http://www.rolltide.com/cumestats.aspx?path=mbball&amp;year=2017" target="_blank">Alabama</a> if the ball bounces a different way. You look at Ole Miss' talent on paper, particularly their guards, and I think they're better than their record suggests. With this <a href="https://kenpom.com/team.php?team=Alabama" target="_blank">Alabama</a> team trying to manage its' way through a slew of injuries, that trip to Oxford on Tuesday night looks challenging to me.<br /><b><br /></b><b>Players to Watch:</b> It was great to see <a href="https://kenpom.com/player.php?p=38189" target="_blank"><b>Braxton Key</b></a> have his best game of the season on Saturday night. One, because Alabama doesn't win without his contribution; two, because it's been such a struggle shooting the ball for Braxton since his return from knee surgery. To Braxton's credit, he did not allow his lack of scoring to affect other parts of his game. It all came together on Saturday night. Let's hope it's the first of many great performances for Braxton the rest of the way.<br /><br /><a href="https://kenpom.com/player.php?p=31057" target="_blank"><b>Terence Davis</b></a> (14.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 2.5 apg, 1.0 bpg) was one of the best players in the league last season in a breakout year. This season has been a bit more of a struggle for him, but he's still one of the top players on this Ole Miss team and one of the better players in the league. He's coming off a 30-point outburst at Arkansas on Saturday.<br /><br /><b>Prediction:</b> Alabama has found a way to win four straight despite injuries to Donta and Collin. The team is showing grit, which bodes well for the future. And I think they're good enough to go to Oxford and give the Rebels some headaches.....but this Ole Miss team has been good at home in conference play, and they're a little older than this Alabama team, which could be important in this game. If Donta continues to be limited, and Collin misses more time, this is a game where it could finally make a difference. I think it comes down to the pace of the game. Alabama is tops in the league in defensive efficiency, while Ole Miss ranks near the bottom; but these teams are similar in terms of offensive efficiency. The second half vs Mississippi State though was a stark reminder that this Alabama team can still get bogged down on the offensive end. If that happens against a steady Ole Miss offensive team, things could get bleak in a hurry. Tough game to call. I think the efficiency numbers actually favor Alabama in this matchup, but I'm going to go with the more experienced team at home to end Bama's winning streak at four. <b>Ole Miss - 90 - Bama - 85</b> (in double OT)<div class="blogger-post-footer">Alabama Hoops Feed. FEED ME!</div>MSmiliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00986547026900964686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24324432.post-4392352404443533952018-01-21T13:54:00.001-05:002018-01-21T13:56:51.549-05:00Bama holds on Late to Survive $tate, Alabama 68 Mississippi $tate 62Alabama now has the SEC's longest winning streak at 4 after holding off the Bulldogs to remain just one game back in the conference standings.<br /><br />It was a tale of two halves.&nbsp; Collin is still out, so we stuck with the starting lineup of Dazon, Petty, Herb, Key, and Dan.&nbsp; I was hard on Dan after his last game, but he stayed out of foul trouble and dominated the paint in the first half, scoring 10 points and setting the tone early.&nbsp; We had great spacing and ball movement, Petty made a couple of 3s, and Key re-emerged as a scoring threat with 7 in the first half and 16 total for the game.&nbsp; JP also had a couple of beautiful passes, including a no look over the shoulder, for assists.&nbsp; &nbsp; If we could have made more than 13 of 23 from the free throw line, then perhaps this game would have been put away sooner.&nbsp; Nevertheless, we had a very comfortable 19 point lead at halftime, but give a lot of credit to Ben Howland and $tate for not throwing in the towel.<br /><br />We missed 3 or 4 good opportunities for easy baskets early in the second half, and that seemed to throw the guys off their game a bit.&nbsp; $tate established their post game early in the half, and we countered by going big with Dan and Donta both in the game.&nbsp; This opened up the 3 point line, and Peters torched us, all the while exchanging trash talk with Collin on our bench.&nbsp; We moved Herb to Peters, which slowed him down, but then Weatherspoon made some big shots.&nbsp; All the while our offense came to a grind.&nbsp; $tate is a good defensive team, but we clearly lost some confidence on offense after missing those layups and we weren't cutting with the same purpose or moving the ball as effectively as we did in the first half.&nbsp; This led to a 5 minute scoring drought that allowed the Dogs to come all the way back and tie the game.<br /><br />While I'm disappointed that we took the foot off the gas a bit and blew a big lead; I'm proud of the guys for having some poise and finishing the game strong.&nbsp; Braxton broke the scoring drought as soon as they tied the game with an offensive rebound and put back.&nbsp; I think it was big psychologically that we never trailed in the game.&nbsp; The defense came up with big stops in the late possessions and we made just enough free throws to finally put the game away.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eQOsEVwVH_M/WmTf4LZbMaI/AAAAAAAABWE/21NfBfbDUN8CLFWDW5FM5-cWgclAM2R4wCLcBGAs/s1600/20180120_202547.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eQOsEVwVH_M/WmTf4LZbMaI/AAAAAAAABWE/21NfBfbDUN8CLFWDW5FM5-cWgclAM2R4wCLcBGAs/s320/20180120_202547.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The highlight of the evening for me was watching Red Panda at halftime.&nbsp; Between seeing her once per year in Tuscaloosa and at various other events; I've probably seen her perform at least a dozen times.&nbsp; It's still as amazing to me as the first time I saw her.&nbsp; I've heard she earns $5,000 per show, if true, she's underpaid in my opinion.&nbsp; If you ever go to a game that she's performing, you do NOT want to leave your seat at halftime.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The crowd was great, it was a sellout and there were very few empty seats.&nbsp; It seemed that $tate brought a lot fewer than they normally do.&nbsp; I would guess they had maybe 500 or so up in the corners, you could hear their "defense" chants at times in the second half, but they were otherwise unnoticeable, which is a good thing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Up next, we try to keep the streak going against the other Mississippi school, as the Tide travels to Oxford to take on the Ole Miss Rebels at 7:30 pm Tuesday night.&nbsp; It will be televised on the SEC Network.&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Alabama Hoops Feed. FEED ME!</div>DJChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15941209983437626301noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24324432.post-42323892077760168412018-01-19T07:00:00.000-05:002018-01-19T07:00:03.571-05:00Game Preview - Mississippi State<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tJ7KUUcbE1I/WmGYMrGnHVI/AAAAAAAAAJM/TUPuvb7qVVgW9ix_tKp5DPif4VRAUusdQCLcBGAs/s1600/KG3_9582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="796" data-original-width="1416" height="358" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tJ7KUUcbE1I/WmGYMrGnHVI/AAAAAAAAAJM/TUPuvb7qVVgW9ix_tKp5DPif4VRAUusdQCLcBGAs/s640/KG3_9582.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />The Alabama men's basketball team has won three straight games and are now 4-2 in conference play. They will look to keep the good times going on Saturday when they host <a href="http://hailstate.com/cumestats.aspx?path=mbball&amp;year=2017" target="_blank">Mississippi State</a> in Coleman Coliseum. The Bulldogs enter with a 2-3 conference record. Game time is 7:30 P.M. CT. Once again, SEC Network will televise the game. Click the links for team and KenPom stats. Make sure to wash your hands first.<br /><br /><b>My Two Cents:</b> What's that old cliche: sports can mimic life. I'm paraphrasing....actually, I have no idea if there is a cliche about sports and life, but you get the point. Life can be a terrible experience at times, gut-punching you for days, or even weeks or months, until you wonder if things can ever swing in the positive direction. And then it does swing in that direction for a while, and you remember that life can be spectacular. And then it all goes wrong again, but you make your way back to the other side. Rinse, repeat. It's the experience that the unconscious mind seeks, be it good or bad. But it's all necessary to have a true understanding of what makes life worthwhile.<br /><br />Now let's apply that to basketball. It was just thirteen days ago that all of us were in the dumps following Alabama's rough outing in Athens. We were very critical of the coaching, and the fact that <a href="http://www.rolltide.com/cumestats.aspx?path=mbball&amp;year=2017" target="_blank">Alabama</a> could miss the NCAA Tournament despite having the most talented roster in a decade at least. It seemed that there was no bright light at the end of that tunnel. And this season is far from turned around, but the team has shown some toughness during a crucial five game stretch by winning the first three of those games - one on the road, another vs a ranked opponent - despite having to continue dealing with injuries. Avery Johnson and his staff have done a good job of managing the roster and making good in-game adjustments in an effort to overcome the lack of a fully healthy roster. Things aren't perfect at the moment, but the clouds aren't as dark as they were just twelve days ago. And the beat goes on la de da de da.....<br /><br /><a href="https://kenpom.com/team.php?team=Alabama" target="_blank">Alabama</a> is coming off their best win of the season from a resume standpoint. Auburn was ranked in the AP, KenPom and RPI top 25 entering that game. And it felt good to see Alabama end Auburn's 14-game winning streak, and 2-game streak over Alabama. And they did this with no Collin Sexton, sitting out with an abdominal injury, and a limited Donta Hall, somehow suiting up to play just days after wrist surgery. The team has overcome some adversity, but I'll feel a lot better if they can get healthy before the stretch run of the season arrives.<br /><br />Coming off a big win on Wednesday night, can this young Alabama team avoid a letdown at home on Saturday? <a href="https://kenpom.com/team.php?team=Mississippi+St." target="_blank">Mississippi State</a> appears to be a program that is still in the building stage in year three under Ben Howland, but it's a well-coached team with talent of its own. It was just two years ago in Howland's first season that State knocked off Alabama in Coleman, halting momentum that team had built for a possible NCAA Tournament bid. With a big crowd expected for Saturday in the wake of the football championship parade, this Alabama team needs to show up and play at a high level because that's what winning programs do.<br /><br /><b>Players to Watch</b>: I thought <a href="https://kenpom.com/player.php?p=40666" target="_blank"><b>Herbert Jones</b></a> had his best game in an Alabama uniform vs Auburn. He finished with 11 points on 5-9 from the field, 7 rebs, 4 asts, 4 stls and a block, while also running the point for long stretches during the second half. Herb's only going to get better, and it should be really fun to watch him develop over the next several years (if we're lucky enough to watch him do it in a Bama uniform, that is). <br /><br />If Ben Howland is able to build Mississippi State into a consistent top 25 program down the road, <a href="https://kenpom.com/player.php?p=31062" target="_blank"><b>Quinndary Weatherspoon</b></a> will be the primary guy that laid the foundation. Quinndary has been a great player through two full seasons in Starkville, and he's once again the top player for this squad as a junior (14.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 4.1 apg, 1.4 spg). Also keep an eye out for his brother, <b><a href="https://kenpom.com/player.php?p=41358" target="_blank">Nick Weatherspoon</a></b> (10.5 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.0 spg). He's expected to play Saturday after a foot injury scare that required an MRI. <br /><br /><b>Prediction:</b> Both teams are in the top half of the league in defensive efficiency (Bama - 2nd; State - 6th), and in the bottom half in offensive efficiency (Bama - 8th; State - 11th). That leads me to believe that Saturday's game could be a low scoring affair.....or I wouldn't be surprised if Alabama, energized with confidence and (hopefully) a big crowd, has a blowout victory. However it goes, I like the toughness this Alabama team is displaying, and the game is in Tuscaloosa so I'll go with our guys to pick up their fourth straight win. <b>Bama - 72 - Mississippi State - 64</b><div class="blogger-post-footer">Alabama Hoops Feed. FEED ME!</div>MSmiliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00986547026900964686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24324432.post-89603453611613223072018-01-18T17:26:00.000-05:002018-01-18T17:26:02.389-05:00Petty Differences, Alabama 76 auburn 71<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HpAEkJkTK_M/WmEdgTQkdNI/AAAAAAAABVs/JuHDVWHvRT4g_9JsLC0Raucsbg-qJgXMACLcBGAs/s1600/20180117_200910.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HpAEkJkTK_M/WmEdgTQkdNI/AAAAAAAABVs/JuHDVWHvRT4g_9JsLC0Raucsbg-qJgXMACLcBGAs/s320/20180117_200910.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />We got news just before tip off that Collin Sexton would be out with an abdominal injury.&nbsp; I have not heard any more specifics, and supposedly he is "day to day."&nbsp; Aren't we all?&nbsp; In any event, I'm not sure how much we can trust any official information from the team on injury reports.&nbsp; Donta Hall was supposed to be out at least 10 days, but he came off the bench and played a big part in the win.&nbsp; Sometimes losing a key player can bring a team together short term, as everyone ups their game to pick up the slack.&nbsp; I think we've seen a bit of this in the last 2 games, but long term, we are going to need to get everyone back and healthy.&nbsp; I'm afraid this seemingly never-ending plague of injuries will catch up to us at some point.&nbsp;<br /><br />Coach Johnson utilized a starting lineup of Dazon, JP, Herb, Key, and Dan.&nbsp; This unit was able to take advantage of some early auburn mistakes and jump out to a 9 point lead.&nbsp; Unfortunately, Dazon looked a bit rusty at the point guard position, especially in the first half.&nbsp; There was little flow to the offense and we ended up with 12 turnovers in the first half.&nbsp; The tigers were able to come back and re-take the lead, but fortunately our guys made enough plays to keep it close.&nbsp; Alex made a couple of big 3's late to tie it, but auburn answered with a buzzer beater to lead 33-30 going into the half.&nbsp;<br /><br />Alabama extended the defense in the second half, and Herb was able to mostly shut down Bryce Brown.&nbsp; After shooting 46% from the 3 point line in the first half, we held auburn to only 2 of 11 in the second half, and one of those was a miracle, contested desperation shot that hit the front of the rim and bounced about 6 feet straight up before dropping in.&nbsp;<br /><br />Meanwhile, JP was absolutely on fire.&nbsp; He showed the world why he was heavily recruited by the likes of Coach Cal and Kentucky.&nbsp; He ended up with 27 points on 8 of 13 from 3 point range.&nbsp; This opened up things for Dazon to drive to the basket, and he contributed with 16 points, making 10 of 13 from the free throw line.&nbsp; Herb also had one of his better games offensively.&nbsp; He scored 11 points, and was able to take advantage of a mis-match by posting up auburn's smaller guards.&nbsp; He even ran point for much of the second half and did a great job.&nbsp; Just an awesome all-around performance from Herb.<br /><br />Given the size advantage, I was hoping for a better game out of Dan, especially with Donta banged up.&nbsp; I'm afraid he may be the Anna Kournikova of college basketball centers, in that he looks great but doesn't play very well.&nbsp; Dude looks like a bigger Lebron, but seems a second or two slow in reacting to everything.&nbsp; He only played 13 minutes due to foul trouble, and he probably could have been called for an additional moving screen or two.&nbsp; It seems he's good for at least two of those per game.&nbsp; Despite all of that, his one basket may have been the best of the game.&nbsp; It was a thunderous dunk over a couple of aubies that got the crowd into the game and ignited the run to help us build a 13 point lead.&nbsp;<br /><br />We knew rebounding would be key in this one, as auburn is surprisingly good on the glass despite being undersized.&nbsp; We won the battle of the boards 37-35, and although Key and Alex gave up some big offensive rebounds late, I thought we did a nice job of boxing out and getting to the ball for the most part.&nbsp; Key ended up with 9 rebounds, Herb had 7, and Donta pulled down 5 with his one arm in only 15 minutes of playing time.&nbsp; I was a little surprised we didn't use Donta more late in the game on defense to protect the rim.<br /><br />A physical, rivalry game is always a difficult game to officiate, especially one with so many block/charge train-wrecks.&nbsp; I thought they were inconsistent on the block/charge calls, and they seemed to go disproportionately against us.&nbsp; Herb's 5th foul was terrible, from my vantage point it looked like he didn't even touch the guy.<br /><br />The ending of the game did not go quite as smoothly as we would have liked.&nbsp; With a comfortable lead, the last thing you want to do is put them on the line with a chance to gain ground with the clock stopped.&nbsp; At one point, auburn shot 8 free throws in 3 possessions, but thankfully only made 2 of them.&nbsp; The "ball don't lie," as they say.&nbsp; Nevertheless, they made just enough free throws and we missed just enough down the stretch to let them back within 3 for their final possession.&nbsp; I would have preferred to foul around half court and put them on the line with 2 seconds or so left in that situation, but it didn't matter as they stepped on the line anyway, ending their attempt at a comeback.<br /><br />Overall, I thought this was one of Coach Johnson's best coaching jobs.&nbsp; He coached circles around Bruce Pearl, creating and exploiting matchups with his substitutions, and making great halftime adjustments like extending the defense and moving Herb to point.&nbsp; We had a great gameplan of controlling the tempo, and the guys executed by choosing wisely when to run in transition, but mostly operating in the half-court and getting back on defense to force auburn to work for their shots.&nbsp; With a full roster, I think we could run with them, but without Donta and Collin, we were wise to slow it down and try to negate their quickness.&nbsp; We also ran a lot more set plays with screens for Petty in the second half, and got Herb involved in a 2-man game. The only decisions I didn't agree with were not fouling at the end, and playing Alex over Donta defensively late in the game, but I understand the reasoning for both.&nbsp; The rotation was much better given the roster limitations, but there was one lineup in the first half of AJ, Herb, Key, Galin, and Alex that didn't make much sense to me.<br /><br />The near sellout crowd was great.&nbsp; I would guess there were close to 14,000 for the early start on a very cold Wednesday night.&nbsp; Despite Pearl's rhetoric about fans travelling and all the marketing auburn did for this game, their fans made up about 5% of the crowd as far as I could tell.&nbsp; There was one annoying barner sitting on the last row of the floor seats in front of us who refused to sit down for most of the game.&nbsp; There was a sense of impending doom with Sexton's absence in the first half, but the crowd was loud and standing for most of the second during and after the big run.&nbsp; I think the noise affected auburn's offense a bit.&nbsp; My only complaint was that the band did not play Rammer Jammer after the game, but at least we did get to chant "O-ver-ra-ted" and "FBI!" at them.&nbsp; The team walked over to the student section and exchanged high-fives after the victory.<br /><br />Up next, rivalry week continues as the mississippi $tate bulldogs come to Tuscaloosa for a 7:30 pm start Saturday night.&nbsp; A lot of people will be in town for the football national championship celebration, so hopefully they will stick around and pack the house.&nbsp; The game will be televised on the SEC Network.&nbsp;<br /><br /><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">Alabama Hoops Feed. FEED ME!</div>DJChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15941209983437626301noreply@blogger.com0